Vigilant - An MHA AU Story
by BigRedKronos
Summary: What if the work of pro-heroes became outlawed? Altogether, support for the life of a hero was lost. This story follows the "What if" scenario for Izuku Midoriya, Ochako Uraraka, and all their friends a few years after the days of UA and professional hero work.
1. Chapter 1: Here We Are Now

"Midoriya! Hurry up with my coffee, will ya?!" A police officer ordered sitting impatient and upright at his desk.

A young man with dark green hair bolted into the open office room wheeling a cart of assorted mugs of coffee and a coffee machine on top.

"Here you are, Captain!" He bowed and handed the officer his assigned mug.

"Jeez. You'd think with the ability to jump from one place to the next in the blink of an eye, you'd be even a little quicker by now. How long has it been since you started working here, again? Two months?" He asked before taking a refreshing sip.

"I-it's more than jumping and running, sir." The boy known to the officer as Midoriya sighed. "And I've worked here a year."

"Ah. Right. Anyway, you still training like I asked?" The officer cocked an eyebrow up at the young man.

"Yes sir! Every day. I hope I can pay all that off and become a police officer." He said.

"That's right. A real hero! Not those tights-wearing reality benders and muscles upon muscles and risqué women. Nope! Real legal law-abiding heroes." He proudly declared in his chair.

Midoriya sighed and nodded his head. "You're right, sir."

"Course I'm right! Now get lost. Other people need their coffee." He grumbled and shooed him off with his fingers as his attention turned to the computer in front of him.

"Yes, Captain Sukeyasu." Midoriya bowed again to excuse himself with his coffee cart.

"If I can't be a hero with One For All, I can at least do my part and be a hero with the police." He thought to himself. He's thought this through his head every day since his first decision to join. But it was getting stale. More coffee orders than stopping crime.

~~~~~~~

"For my family..." A young, rosy-cheeked brunette woman sighed as she squatted down then back up, lifting a large plank of wood and hoisting it up, then carrying it across a construction site amidst others dressed in vests and helmets.

"Sweetie! Hey!" Her father called as he ran up to her. "Ochako, you know you can just use your quirk and carry it that way. You don't need to strain yourself like that."

"It's okay, Dad. I got it. Besides, I'm not allowed to use my quirk." She said as she set it down next to a pile of other planks like it. "I don't want to get your company in trouble."

"Aw, Sweetie..." He comforted her. "Thank you. But please be careful. Don't go too hard on yourself."

"I'll try, Daddy." She gave him a smile then walked back to her station.

"That's my girl." He smiled back and waved her off.

"Even with my help, we'll still be short on payments this month... There's got to be something more for us." Ochako thought to herself.

~~~~~~~

"All is going according to plan." A tall dark-blue haired young man thought confidently with a determined look on his face. With his hands on his hips.

"Tenya! You seem pretty happy today, little brother." His older brother said as he rolled into the room in his wheelchair. He was dressed similarly with his dark blue hair combed and wearing a dark suit.

"I'm just excited for this opportunity to be your attourney intern." The young man, Tenya smiled. "In no time at all, I could be your partner."

"You are my partner, Tenya-kun." His brother reached up and patted his back.

"Thanks Tensei... But not yet officially."

~~~~~~~

The cell door opened up on a young man with with blonde frizzy hair.

"Bakugou. Tatsui. It's feedin' time. Get up and come with us."

The blonde man, along with his cellmate obeyed after a moment of sharing a glance filled with mutual hatred for their current predicament.

They walked out and walked in front of a few guards behind down a long corridor to an open multi-level cafeteria.

"Ey boys! Lord Explosion Murder is back out for more." One of the fellow jumpsuit prisoners said loudly at his table.

Bakugou had been there for months now. But no matter how tough he tried to be, the guards wouldn't let him put the others in their place. They stayed on his right and his left, mostly for the protection of other prisoners. That in itself could be something to be proud of, but not to someone like Katsuki Bakugou.

He stood in line, was served his tray of food, and sat at a wider table with his cellmate as the guards remained standing behind them.

His cellmate Tatsui was covered in thick black hair, long on his head and sporting big sideburns. The hair went down his back and chest into his jumpsuit. Most of the time he had to wear a muzzle but recently he'd been trying to have better behavior.

"What's the weather like." Katsuki asked the guard behind him without the tone of a question, or the turning of his head as he began to eat.

"Cloudy. High chance of rain. If you're good, you can go out to the courtyard and see for yourself." The guard answered.

Tatsui looked at Katsuki then back to his own food.

After a moment of silent eating, Katsuki felt an empty tray smack him in the side of the head.

At that moment, the guard behind put his gun to the blonde's head. "One move and it's over, Bakugou. Don't go blowing anybody up in here. This place costs money."

One of the prisoners at an adjacent table cackled with laugher.

"Just ignore them, Bakugou." The guard reminded him.

Katsuki glared at the prisoner now without his tray, still laughing. The tray now on the floor but bits of rice and pork speckled his hair.

"He'll get what's coming to him." Tatsui said softly.

"He most certainly will." Katsuki hissed.

"He'll be punished for doing that." The guard stated. "But don't you forget what got you in here in the first place."


	2. Chapter 2: The Lives of Ex-Heroes

Once it was finally time to quit for the day, Izuku shuffled home to his apartment. He opened the door and shut it behind, not bothering to lock it or even see if it shut completely. Although he assumed it did by the noise.

His collar now unbuttoned and tie off, he crashed on his couch and checked his phone. Nothing.

"Rrr-ow?" His small brown cat meowed and found her way on to his chest.

"Hey girl." He sighed happily and stroked her fur. "At least someone's happy to talk to me."

She yawned and stretched on him then climbed off and assumably went to her own little bed.

"Figures." Izuku rolled his eyes.

He reached for his television remote and turned on the screen in front of him as he remained laying down.

"Now our top stories: Coming up in a week is the one year anniversary of the Vigilant Accords. Governments around the world made the life-changing decision to end professional heroism and leave it once again to the emergency services, police departments, and national guards. We'll follow up with a few stories of success! 'How the Accords made my life better; From Hero, to Zero, to Speaker'. The ex-hero Ingenium, now known as Tenya Iida will speak with us."

"Right on, Iida-kun!" Izuku smiled. "I'm happy for him."

"Our first top story however is a view from the opposite perspective. Reports are in from a year's worth of data collecting. Criminal activity is at a record high in many countries. Could it be the Accords were passed too quickly? Hundreds have signed a petition to repeal the Accords' harsh restrictions on the use of Quirks." The same newswoman announced.

Izuku sat up intrigued.

"The starter of the petition, young hero-turned-activist Mina Ashido, has repeatedly spoken in public about the injustices of these Accords and says they will not stop until governments reconsider."

The screen now played footage at a protest near a government office building in Tokyo. Izuku's old friend with her pink hair and black eyes stood in the sun over a pulpit with a significant crowd around her.

"I ask that they take a moment to look outside their windows and see just how much color the world has lost. And I don't necessarily mean hero's costumes. Living free with Quirks is a part of our species now. To regulate them this much means to hold who we are in closets. And bottling up these abilities can be dangerous for some." Mina said.

Izuku was surprised at how professional she appeared and spoke. Much different from the bubbly and wacky personality she had in high school. Still, she did show signs of her personality, slamming her fist in the pulpit and raising her voice for various points.

"If you'd like to sign the petition yourself, you can log on to W-W-W dot repeal the Accords dot org." The other newscaster mentioned.

"After commercial break, we'll have the privilege to hear from the hero-turned-attourney Tenya Iida. Stay tuned!" The newswoman said with a smile.

"Wow. I wonder if Mina and Tenya don't mind being put on opposing sides on the news." Izuku chuckled to himself.

Just then, the entire building shook, especially the ground below him. A loud boom matched the jolt, prompting Izuku to jump up and run to investigate. He ran out his front door and down the stairs to the floor below.

As he came to the floor, all he could see was clouds of dust masking everything. He wasn't even sure the floor was still there. Still, he proceeded with caution.

Izuku slowly stepped through the hall, looking around but still seeing nothing in the dust. He made sure no one was watching when he took in a breath and blew out hard, activating a small percentage of One For All, blowing all the dust down the hall and out the other end of the building's open balcony.

Everything seemed normal.

That is, until he spotted one of the apartment's front doors was completely missing.

Before he could approach it, he could hear noises coming from inside and decided instinctively to hide rather than fight here. Izuku ran back and hid at the stairs.

"He ain't here." A young man said stepping out, talking with someone who followed behind. The young man had four arms almost like Izuku's old classmate Shoji who had six. Only his four arms seemed to only function as regular arms. Except for the boxing gloves on his lower pair.

"Probably still at work. Let's leave him a little note. I'm thinking...eviction." Another young man said, the one behind the four-armed guy. He had short pink hair and he was covered in all sorts of gadgets.

Very familiar. Izuku guessed he was a Hatsume like his old high school friend Mei. Only this guy seemed to put his carelessness and cockyness as a threat rather than at a workbench like Mei would. A threat to whoever lived in that apartment they just destroyed. Where are the police?

"Rikido Sato!" Izuku suddenly had the realization and covered his mouth.

"Who's there?!" The pink-hair demanded. "Eleyani. Bring whoever that is to me."

Without argument or much else, the four-armed man dashed with incredible speed toward the stairs.

Izuku activated One For All and rushed himself to the balcony on the stairs and leapt up. He quickly grabbed the ledge above and climbed up like his life depended on it. And it possibly did.

"Whoever it is, they've got some kind of jumping Quirk!" The four-armed man said reaching the stairs.

"Somebody with a strong Quirk lives upstairs." The pink-haired man hummed and looked at a large square watch on his arm. "Oh my... Eleyani... We're in luck! Midoriya Izuku, the supposed Symbol of Peace lives up there."

The four-armed man, Eleyani, gave a smirk. "Let's go check in with him."

The pink-hair activated some sort of rocket thrusters on his legs and shoulders, making him hover off the ground. "Let's do it!"


	3. Chapter 3: Interrogation

Izuku slammed his door behind himself and quickly thought of something to do to play dumb.

Not even a minute later, he hears them outside his door.

-KNOCK- -KNOCK- -KNOCK KNOCK -KNOCK-

Then the door simply exploded.

The two men invited themselves in and saw Izuku in his shirt unbuttoned, and wearing no pants, reclining on his sofa with his cat on his lap facing them.

He played dumb as best as he could, masking his emotions with annoyance that they just blew his door down and barged in so rudely.

"Excuse me, gentlemen?!" He frowned and stood up.

The pink-haired man frowned and marched right up to the greenette. "You're excused." He cocked an eyebrow then shoved him back on to his couch. "What'cha been up to this evening?" He asked as he sat himself down on the adjacent loveseat facing the television playing old superhero rerun specials.

"You're looking at it." Izuku shrugged. "Mind telling me why you both decided to barge into my apartment like this?"

"Mm. Routine inspections." The four-armed man replied looking around his kitchen area, his arms picking up random objects then putting them down.

"Who gave you the authority to just do this?" Izuku asked, less than pleased with their attitudes, icing on the cake of disrespect.

"Your ex-bosses." The pink-haired man smirked. "My name's Maeko Hatsume. Government Warrant Officer. Lately, my job has been to keep ex-heroes like you in check. Same as Eleyani Totovaki over here." He pointed to his four-armed friend who gave a careless salute.

"Well, I'll have you gentlemen know that since the Accords passed, I've given up heroism." Izuku explained.

Maeko gave an obviously doubtful chuckle. "Well it looks that way. But we keep a very close eye on all of you. Seems like you and all 19 of your old UA graduate buddies have been forced to move on despite the sacrifices it took." He spoke with no sympathy in his voice.

"And yet, some of you have been reported for vigilantism. Rikidou Sato was found stopping a gang from robbing a convenience store last night. He made a payment for a few sugary snacks then the police found a gang of six men outside, unconscious and tied up with metal wires."

Izuku gave it thought. His old friends practicing heroism despite it now being illegal? And he never expected Sato of all people to do it. Then again, his interactions with the bulky man were few. In spite of it, he didn't blame him. Anyone with goodness in their heart would have stopped those men in that situation. It could be argued that it was citizen's defense. No harm done. At least, with the lack of evidence and details, it is.

The green-haired man now realized he had been sitting there in silence for too long. No time to act suspicious. "Sorry. Old habits of muttering my thoughts and overthinking stuff." He explained.

"Understandable. I catch myself doing the same thing sometimes." Maeko chuckled. For a moment, he sounded like a genuinely fun guy, if his heart was in a better place and if he hadn't just broken down Izuku's door.

Izuku tried to play it cool and share a smile.

"Do you keep in touch with your friends?" Eleyani asked, leaning against the wall.

Izuku noticed in one of his pairs of arms, he was holding his pet cat, stroking her back.

"I try to. But...seems like they all moved on to the point of letting go of...even me." He let a little bit of his personal feelings show.

"Awh that's a shame. It's as if...they only wanted it for the fame. The glory? Y'know?" Maeko sighed. "Every hero only did their job because of the public favor. The money, perhaps. Celebrity status. How many pro-heroes became models, actors, social media stars?"

Izuku was growing tired of these jerks.

And they seemed to read his mind well. The feeling was mutual.

Izuku's cat jumped out of Eleyani's arms.

"They're just...busy." Izuku said.

"Apparently, not busy enough. I'm on a hunt for your friend Rikidou. And I'm gonna find him. Even if you're hiding him somewhere." Maeko frowned.

"Is that what you think I've been doing?" Izuku frowned back.

"I can see it in your eyes. You never wanted those Accords to pass. You want them gone too so things can go back to the way they were." Maeko leaned forward on the loveseat. "We both know there's no going back to what you've done. Bakugou shouldn't be the one who got imprisoned. I saw the footage. It should have been YOU!"

On instinct, Izuku turned himself just as Eleyani launched at him with all arms out. He jumped up and punched the hunter, knocking his entire body back like a spring until he crashed through the wall.

Maeko Hatsume appeared behind the greenette with what felt like the barrel of a gun at his head. "That's all I needed to know. You're under arrest, hero."

Using One For All, Izuku jerked his head out of the way at lightning speed. He heard the gun go off but it sounded very modified, not like any conventional guns sold commercially or federally. This man seemed to be the master of loopholes at his job. Or he was simply a hypocrite.

In the world of heroes and villains, if it still existed, he would be a villain.

Izuku reached around and tackled the pink-haired man to the ground. "I'm a cop. You have nothing to arrest me with."

"I have my partner's body over there to show." Maeko snickered. "And every word of the conversation recorded so you better hope you watched your mouth."

Suddenly, he felt a jolt of electricity launch through his body. Something he must've grabbed when he pinned Hatsume down.

As his body tensed up with twitching pain, his eyes darted down to see his hand gripping the man's bicep. Wrapped around it was some kind of metal band with visible sparks emitting.

One For All was his only chance before his frozen body let more electricity kill him. But as he activated it, he felt far more than he needed but he couldn't stop it. His body glowed. Pink glowed in his veins. Green lightning shot from his torso.

Maeko yelled out as his grip tightened on his bicep, crushing the taser. But then, the light around Izuku continued to grow brighter.

Hatsume grew desperate. All the contraptions and devices on his body began to contort and transform and shift, moving from their original places and spreading around his outline, giving him some kind of protective shell. "This means war, Midoriya!"

Izuku looked down. Lying on top of Hatsume's shelled body was a round object beeping off with each tick increasing in speed.

Izuku roared out. One For All seemed to explode, along with the device. A grenade.

The last thing he saw was the night sky and the streets below coming closer and closer extremely fast.


	4. Chapter 4: What Caused This

Izuku jolted awake. It had been a long time since he'd been knocked out so bad. A very long time.

He woke up on a traditional Japanese sleeping mat on the ground. Looking around, he realized everything appeared to be in the traditional countryside Japanese design. A minimalist room with a few paintings on the thin walls and no modern doors, only the sliding ones that blended into the rest of the walls.

Before he could rise out of his sleeping space, he audibly groaned but quickly covered his mouth.

"He's awake!" Someone whispered in the neighboring room.

"Well go say hi! Bring him some breakfast already!" A female whisper replied.

The first one to come in, carrying a tray with a cup of warm tea and a plate of some sort of dumplings, was Rikidou Sato. Despite being a very tall and bulky man, he didn't need to duck his head since the ceilings seemed higher than most.

"Hey Midoriya. It's been a while! I made you breakfast." He said, smiling with his large naturally swollen lips.

"Y-You?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah well I am the baker dude after all." He chuckled.

"N-No I mean... I heard you were dead. Or missing. Something like that."

Rikidou's smiled dropped. "Let me guess. Hatsume said that."

Izuku nodded.

At that time, in the room stepped another person. She stood in a buttoned up shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and the top three buttons undone. She gave Izuku a stern look which quickly shot into a pink smile.

"A-Ashido-san?!"

"Izuku Midoriya." She said happily. "Boy am I glad to see you."

"What's going on?" Izuku asked.

"Before I explain everything, I'll just start by saying everything is worse than what we thought..." She sighed as she got down on her knees to his level.

"What's that mean?" He asked.

"The government hired a team of bounty hunters to 'keep ex-heroes in check'..." She made quotations with her fingers. "But they never bothered to do thorough background checks for these guys."

Nezou Shoji entered the room carrying a cream colored file in one of his six arms.

"Thank you, Nezou." Mina smiled and took the file from him. She opened it up and placed it in Izuku's lap.

"Maeko Hatsume. Eleyani Totovaki. Those were the guys who attacked you, right?"

Izuku nodded.

"Take a look at this." She pointed.

Their names and photos showed up on two individual documents in the file. The photos almost looked like mugshots.

"Maeko Hatsume was diagnosed with schizophrenia three years ago. His sister Mei, you know her from UA. She wanted to use her intelligence to invent stuff for hero-support companies and things like that. But Maeko stayed at home and built all kinds of devices for himself. Each one was some kind of weapon. No good intentions. Did he use anything on you?" Mina asked.

"H-He blasted my door and Sato's door with some kind of charge that left everything in dust. And he left a grenade in my face." He frowned.

"What kind of grenade... Like this?" She pointed to a photo of one of his inventions. A small round object resembling that of a military grade explosive.

"Yes that."

Mina, Rikidou, and Nezou each looked at each other. "Izuku, that's an electric-based weapon. It's meant to paralyze you. Not blow up half the building..."

Izuku's heart sank. His skin turned white. "Turn on the news." He ordered.

"Izuku..."

"Turn on the news!" He repeated, much more desperate than he was angry.

Rikidou reluctantly walked out. Izuku forced himself to stand up, knocking aside the file and leaving Mina and Nezou.

He followed the sugar-Quirk man to the next room where a television stood on a table at the end. As it turned on, he flipped channels to the newstation.

"Police have yet to confirm who or what caused the explosion to the Silver Petals Apartment building. Investigations have been underway ever since the breaking news that struck the city last night." The newswoman began.

Izuku took a step forward.

"So far, eighteen people are dead and thirty are missing."

His eyes and ears never left the atmosphere from the screen.

"The explosion is rumored to have been caused by resident and former hero Izuku Midoriya. Eyewitnesses reported the explosion happened on the fifth floor and caused the collapse to the entire structure's support..."

Not long after, he stopped listening entirely. Ringing filled his ears as he could hear the screams from his past.

"It... It happened again..."

"Izuku, listen to me." Mina approached him from behind, making her presence know with each step. "It is not your fault."

"I can't stay here... I'm wanted. I need to turn myself in." He said.

"No! Listen! The government betrayed us!" Mina cried.

He turned back to her. Even Nezou and Rikidou seemed shocked at her rash outburst.

"From the moment those Accords passed, I wanted nothing more than for heroism to live on. To stand for what was right even if I stood alone. But you know what? I was expecting something to come of it! Maybe not a change of mind, but...something! And yet the government responded to my calls to action as threats. They hired whackjobs like Maeko to hunt us down like criminals! Like... Like villains!"

"Are you trying to justify what I did...?" Izuku asked.

"I'm saying that wasn't your fault! Generations into this age of Quirks and yet the leaders of the world still don't care about the majority of the population! They should rebuild society around who we are now. Not regulate and prohibit and limit who we are!"

"Ashido-san... You're starting to sound like a villain..." He said sharply.

Mina took a step back. Her face full of shock in her own words. "I... I didn't mean it like that, Izuku. I just... Tooru is gone... Mashirao also lost contact with us... You know as well as I that the governments are responsible for these...these murderers! The same governments who made it illegal for us to do anything!"

"Then what could we possibly do about it, Mina?! And besides, whatever you try to do, having me will only makes things worse! I'm the reason the governments of the world passed the Accords!" Izuku snapped.

"Izuku... No matter what happened then, I want us back together as a team... Whether they allow it or not, the world needs heroes. Because the villains haven't stopped either." She explained.


	5. Chapter 5: Old In-Laws

Tenya Iida had just finished for the day, said goodbye to his crippled brother, and marched home to his own apartment space.

As he reached for his door, he noticed it was unlocked. "I never do that..." He reminded himself softly.

Expecting the worst, he braced himself as he ripped open the door and launched himself inside using his engines.

"Iida! Buddy! It's been so long!"

Tenya slammed on the breaks, stopping dead in his tracks to find Maeko Hatsume in his kitchen, pouring himself a glass of his celebratory wine.

"H-Hatsume?! What are you doing breaking into my apartment?!" Tenya pointed his entire arm in a straight line toward the pink-haired mercenary.

"Don't worry about that. Nothing's broken! No harm done." He smiled innocently. "Just thought I'd pour myself some wine for a toast...with myself, and the voice in my head of course."

"Right well... Has that gotten any better?" Tenya asked a little nervously. Maeko was an old acquaintance made back when he dated Mei, so the concern for his well-being assimilated into Tenya as well as the rest of the Hatsume family.

"Eh, ran out of meds. But he's been real quiet." Maeko sighed, tapping his right temple where a small circular scar was just under his bangs. "But the real reason I'm making a toast, is to celebrate the birth of a new group of villains on the horizon that I get the pleasure of hunting down."

Tenya felt a little more at ease, sensing everything to be safe for now between just the two of them. He sat at a small bar that faced the kitchen, facing Maeko and his wine. "Maeko, who are these villains? How has that been for you?"

"It's been great! My dream job! I don't need any of that stupid hero life and publicity but I do get the luxury of beating villains to a pulp with my tech." He cheered. He seemed happy enough to even pour a second glass for Tenya, still using his wine.

He slid the glass to Tenya's side in front of him. "A toast to the capture of these villains before they cause more damage to our beautiful society."

Tenya felt safer, yes. But no less awkward. Since Maeko was a teenager, he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. And in a desperate attempt to "cure himself", he built an artifical intelligence to wire into his own brain and hold back any psychoses not in line with his original thoughts.

But it only made it worse. Somehow his Quirk fused the intelligence with his alternate voices. Since then, he's been very unstable and unpredictable. Still, Tenya admired him for trying to make something of himself in their society.

And it troubled him that he never answered his question. Tenya asked to keep him accountable.

"I'll drink when you tell me who the new villains are." He instructed.

Maeko shrugged and chugged his glass down. "Izuku Midoriya, Mina Ashido, Rikidou Sato, aaaaand a few more."

Tenya's glass almost slipped out of his hand. "That's not right, Maeko. They're good people trying to start again like I did."

"See for yourself." Maeko flipped Tenya's living room television on behind him, seemingly with a wave of his hand.

The television had on the news, conveniently still covering the story of how the former Symbol of Peace blew up his apartment building.

"I was there, Iida. He attacked us. My partner is in critical condition at the hospital. And he walked away like it was nothing." Maeko explained. "Do you know how much power courses through that guy's veins? He could wipe out the city with one punch! But what I saw that night... Dude, he exploded." He explained.

"That couldn't be Iz- Midoriya. He would never do that. He would never intend to do that!" Tenya protested.

"Tenya. Izuku all his life has been a nobody. His Quirk never manifested until high school. He was bullied thinking he was Quirkless, that he could never be a hero, that he could never amount to anything. And then his powers came in at the UA entrance exam and the rest is history." Maeko said.

"Where are you going with this?" Tenya asked.

"Being a hero was all he ever did! All he ever prepared for! But when the accident happened a year ago-"

"Do not dishonor my friend's name bringing up that story!" Tenya stood up in anger.

"His Quirk blew up half a city block! Hundreds of people gathered to watch that fight... Hundreds dead."

"Stop!"

"It's happening again, Tenya! Whatever his intentions are, he's now a threat to society and I have a warrant for his arrest!" Maeko shouted, walking around, and getting up in Tenya's face, although he was significantly shorter despite his additional years on the engine-Quirk.

Tenya sighed in defeat. Sadness itself was heard within his breathing.

"If he walks the streets, having attacked warrant officers of Japan, having the heartbreaking history and the unstable Quirk all rolled in one, the Accords won't be the last regulation they pass over you and your friends. Izuku Midoriya must be arrested and controlled." He said firmly.

Tenya lowered his head, unable to make eye contact. He wiped the mist from his eyes.

"I know he's your old friend. And I know it's hard... But that's exactly why I came to you. We're going to need a team to take him down."

Tenya then turned back to Maeko. "You said Rikidou Sato and Mina Ashido are also wanted. Why?"

"Sato evaded capture when I came for routine inspection. He planted a small pipe bomb in his own apartment just for us. And Ashido, I believe, is organizing these rebellions behind her speeches. I'd say she'd be a good lead for our little criminal friends." Maeko said, not worrying about the smirk that crooked the corner of his mouth up.

Tenya sighed. "If I agree to help you, can I have your word that you won't hurt my friends?"

"You have my word." Maeko gripped his hand, which was not stretched out to shake, and shook it. "Now who would you recommend for our little team?"


	6. Chapter 6: Grape Soda

As Mina and Izuku, now dressed decently formally, were escorted in, the loud music and flashing neon lights made it harder to have any private conversations for the time being.

Izuku looked around and couldn't believe the things he saw that were in fact legal in Japan. And some things he was sure still weren't.

Mostly what could be seen were people dancing to the beat of the music. But he could see tables. And on those tables were poles, where women wearing very suggestive and sexual versions of known heroes' costumes danced against.

Izuku constantly asked himself why they were in such a strange nightly place until they came upon his table.

Mina tapped her fingers on the table to get his attention.

"Minoru Mineta." She said.

"Mina Ashido, baby!" The short, purple-haired ex-hero cheered. On both sides sat two twin girls who looked like they shared mirroring birthmarks on their eyes and cheeks. Around the table sat various men holding sets of playing cards.

"And Izuku Midoriya!" He cheered even louder.

That shout grabbed the attention of a few nearby.

"Keep it down, Mineta!" Mina snapped. "He's a wanted man now!"

"Ah right right. I saw that." Minoru sighed. Whether he believed Izuku was a criminal or not, it didn't seem to matter to him now. "What can we do for you?"

Mina looked over to Izuku, making it his turn to explain themselves.

"Wha- Well... We're being hunted..." He said.

Mina rolled her black eyes.

"I can see that." Minoru added. "That Hatsume guy's interview is all over the news. Word is he recruited Iida for his little death squadron."

"D-Death squadron?! Iida?!" Izuku and Mina asked in unison.

"Guys do you really expect Iida to be a killer?" The midget cocked his eyebrow.

"But how did Hatsume convince Iida to join him?" Izuku asked.

"I don't know but he's sure got him fooled. The media doesn't cover it and it's not exactly public information but with some digging, it's not hard to find out how unstable our pink-haired tech savvy friend is." He shrugged.

"Regardless of how, if Iida really is working with him, he could find us much easier!" Izuku gasped.

"Iida wouldn't do that to us. He was one of the first of us to suck it up and move on with his life when the Accords passed." Mina explained.

"Speaking of. If you guys are here to recruit me, you're wasting your time there. I've built myself a little empire here! I've found my people! And my babes." Minoru said confidently, throwing his arms around the twin girls who shared a giggle before kissing both his cheeks.

"How you got to where you are, I don't want to know but I'm surprised." Mina said.

"Y'know, Ashido-chan, there's always room for more here." He narrowed his eyes seductively.

"I will melt your clothes off and throw you into that mosh pit." She threatened.

"Nothing in this place is a threat to me, pink cheeks. To reach the top of a place like this, you gotta be willing to do such things anyway." Minoru smirked.

"Okay! Looks like we are done here! C'mon Izuku." Mina huffed, turning herself around in her red dress then stopping for Izuku to join her.

"W-Wait." He said. "I know you weren't everyone's favorite, Mineta. B-But we need you, as a fellow hero, to rise up with us and help people again."

"Midoriya, my friend. As much as I wanted to be a hero, nobody appreciated me. Here, I can be who I am without those hateful glares. Hell, they even love me for it! Right, my people?!"

At his cue, much of the crowds below on the dance floor began cheering and chanting "Grape Juice! Grape Juice! Grape Juice!"

His twin girls kissed him again flirtatiously.

Izuku sighed. "A real hero would risk everything for the greater good. Even... Even love." For some reason, his mind traveled over to a few memories with Ochako Uraraka. He quickly shook them off.

With that, he turned and joined Mina in walking out.

However, as they marched toward the main exit, they instinctively turned off course as they watched Maeko Hatsume and Tenya Iida march themselves inside.

Maeko seemed friendly to the guard as if he was a regular at this club. Tenya looked very uncomfortable but remained by his side.

"Izu... That's them..." Mina whispered.

"Wh-What do we d-do?!" Izuku whispered back in a panic. It had been years since his routine training that helped him out of his freezing-up-to-over-analyze-before-acting.

"Follow me." Mina wrapped her arm in his and guided him to the dance floor.

"Wh- Mina?!" He asked.

"Just trust me. We'll only be here for a few minutes to hide." She then lead him to a decent place on the floor surrounded by people who were too busy being drunk and dancing to pay attention to them. "Put your arm on my hip."

Izuku didn't even get a word out. His face nearly turned as pink as hers.

She looked over his shoulder, spying on Maeko who seemed to be relaxingly scanning the crowds. Impatient, she grabbed his hand for him and planted it on her hip, then grabbed his other hand and held it up. "Just follow my lead. You don't have to move anything, just your feet."

"I-I-I've never danced before." Izuku gasped.

"Don't worry! We need to blend in to the crowd." She warned him.

He nodded and forced himself to relax. Her hand gripped his shoulder and gently pushed it down to help him calm down.

Somehow she was both gentle and controlling.

And now, she took a step to her right. "Right step." She instructed.

"R-Right." He took a right step and landed it well.

"Another right." She said, taking the right herself.

Izuku followed with a nod and the step, only to skim her foot which only had the protection of her sandal. "SORRY!" He squeaked.

"It's fine, Izu. Just keep going. And add a bounce to it. We need to keep with the beat of the music, this isn't exactly a slow dancing song."

"R-Right... So why are you making me dance like this?"

"I don't trust you to dance like the people around us without blowing our cover, Mr. Never-Danced-Before." She smirked.

Izuku frowned at her.

"Can you put me in a dip?" She asked.

"D-Dip?"

"Yes, dip me!" She held tightly on to him and tilted herself back. "Catch me!"

Using his reflexes and a small dose of One For All, he caught her with his hands wrapped around her lower back.

At the same time, in the corner of his eye, Maeko passed by the two with his eyes on another man with green hair a few people away.

"That was close." He whispered.

"You can let me up now." She smiled.

"YES! I CAN!" He tensed up and pulled her back on her feet.


	7. Chapter 7: Can’t Do It

Izuku and Mina were now long gone, having escaped both Tenya and Maeko and left the club.

But Maeko himself wasn't done there just yet.

"Stay close, Iides. This be a minute." He said.

"It's Iida." Tenya corrected. "What are you doing?"

"Visiting a mutual friend of ours." He smirked.

He soon appeared before Minoru's table.

"Minoru Mineta!" Tenya addressed him.

The short pimp looked up at the two from his twin girls. "Maeko! Good to see you back here again! It's been a while. And... Iida! It's been even longer! Have a seat, my dudes."

Maeko sat down, grabbing a deck of cards. Tenya stood uncomfortably behind him.

"Tell ya what, Grapes. Cards for answers. You remember that?"

Minoru gulped, then hesitantly nodded. "Y-Yeah yeah! Of course I do."

"If you wanna place down a card, you gotta answer my questions." Maeko reminded him.

"What is going on here?" Tenya butted in.

"Just let me do my work, Iida. When you work dirty jobs, you get dirty." The pink-haired man frowned.

Turning back to Minoru, he smiled. "Did you hear about that apartment that blew up."

"How could I not have? Sato and Midoriya both used to live there! But I haven't been in touch with them since years back. I tried reaching out but they must be outta town." Minoru said. Over the years, he's tried and tried again to master his lying skills to keep his position.

Maeko sighed. "Mineta my friend. I got eyes everywhere. Little birdies told me he was here. Izuku Midoriya. In your club."

Minoru gulped again but maintained a calm, steadfast look of surprise. "I don't see why he'd come here of all places. And if not to at least say hi to me!"

Maeko chuckled. "I have to admit, Mineta. I'm impressed with your lying. You could have easily sold me. But like I said, I got eyes everywhere."

The two girls on either side of Minoru giggled and winked at him with their mirroring eye birthmarks which then popped out of their faces and began to float around the table, staring at him.

"Sorry, Grapey."

"But you just couldn't keep up."

"Maeko paid us more than you ever did."

Tenya narrowed his eyebrows. "Mineta, just tell us the truth and we'll let you be."

"I-Iida, don't tell me you're in on this too! Maeko's a psychopath!" He stuttered.

Maeko chuckled again. "It's not me."

Suddenly a device originally wrapped around his wrist sprang out and expanded over, grabbing Minoru by the throat.

"Maeko, stop!" Tenya shouted.

"Tell me what you told Midoriya!" Maeko commanded, ignoring Tenya's pleas for mercy.

Minoru panicked and gripped helplessly at the clamp around his neck that could close at the push of a button.

~~~~~~~

"I can't do this..." Izuku gulped hard.

"Look, I know it was a little rocky. But nobody can deny what we saw in you two together. Whether you were fighting as a team of heroes or walking together as friends or even helping raise Eri. You need her, Izu. And she needs you." Mina explained.

They were walking, now in a nicer part of the city than the dump they were in less than an hour ago. Soon they would come upon the Uraraka residence.

"I'm not ready to show my face to her again, Mina-san. I-I pushed her away."

"Recognizing that was a mistake is a big step in the right direction though. And knowing her, she'll forgive you." She said. "You messed up. You didn't see that she still needed you then despite your...mistakes. And you left, but with good but ignorant intention. But that's in the past. You want things to be different, right?"

Izuku was first just impressed at how scholarly Mina had grown to be. She was very observant as were most of the girls from their class. But she read him very well and gave very honest but useful criticism. And it was hopeful.

He nodded. "Do you really think she'll be okay with our sudden visit?"

"Better late than never. But guys like Maeko Hatsume are making people either hate us more or miss us more. It's best to see who's on our side now." Mina shrugged.

Izuku cleared his throat and nodded again. "Okay..."

"Perfect! Now which house is hers?" She smiled.

Izuku sighed and walked ahead one house up. Despite the run-down neighborhood, it seemed very cozy and it made the rest of the neighborhood appear nothing like the slums of the city. The yard was full of decorations and a traditional Japanese arch covered the door frame. A little tacky but nonetheless very welcoming, despite the situation and who was inside.

It felt like hours, he stood up on the front porch in front of the door.

"Knock on it!" Mina whispered from the yard.

Izuku turned his head from her back to the door. Then he knocked.

A tall, yet stocky middle aged man answered and opened the door. "Ye-"

He stared at Izuku for a moment. "Wait here." He said sternly then shut the door.

They both could hear footsteps and whispering inside then the door swung open again.

It's as if pink rose petals began to flutter from the trees at that very moment that late at night and with such dim porch lighting. Izuku's heart stopped as he met eyes with Ochako Uraraka.

She was frozen in place as well but for a different reason.

"What... What are you doing here?" She looked over his shoulder to see Mina standing in the yard waving with a smile.

"Izuku wanted to ask you something." She said.

Ochako hesitantly turned back to Izuku standing at her door.

"I-I uh..."

She sighed. "It's good to see you... But it's late and I have work tomorrow. So please...come back another time or something..."

"N-No wait, Uraraka-san!" Izuku reached out for her as she stepped back and closed the door.

"Please wait! Something happened and we need your help!" He called.

"Izuku..." Mina said.

"Uraraka!... Ochako! Please!"

"Izuku!" Mina gripped his shoulder.

"You missed your chance..." She sighed.

They stood in defeat still at the door. Izuku crumbled from the weight of his social awkwardness. On the verge of tears, he turned around and began to walk away with Mina following.

Until the front door opened again. Ochako stepped out with tear stains on her cheeks. "Just get to the point of why you're here."


	8. Chapter 8: Pa-Pa

Mrs. Uraraka had invited them in, despite Ochako's indifference. Now, Izuku and Mina sat on the couch in the living room while Ochako sat on the smaller loveseat perpendicular to them.

"S-Something bad is happening..." Izuku said.

"Lots of bad stuff have happened, Midoriya." She said.

Hearing her refer to his last name seemed to sting worse than any of name she could have given in that instant.

"So you've seen the news?" Mina asked.

"Yeah." Ochako nodded. "I like hearing from you, Mina. I like your calls to equality."

They both worried there was going to be a "but".

"But things are different now."

"Ochako..." Izuku said. "Maeko Hatsume from the news is hunting us all down. He tried to kill me."

Ochako did have a spark of concern in her eyes but not much emotion. "You know what happened."

Mina groaned. "That's it! First it took you two years before you finally confessed feelings. Now you're avoiding the inevitable once again!"

"Mina!" They shouted in unison.

"Ochako, Hatsume is illegally attacking ex-heroes and the government isn't doing anything about it! And one blanket law isn't stopping the ever-growing rate of crime worldwide!" Mina defended her case.

"Ochako... Not a day... N-Not a single day goes by where I don't think about what I did."

"Izuku. Even now I still want to be there for you but you stopped caring about the rest of us. Your Quirk went uncontrollable after that villain hit you with a drug. But it wasn't the fact that people died that I gave up... It's because you left me." Ochako explained. Hot tears gathered in her eyes.

"I did it to protect you... I saw why my mentor All Might was always working alone so I took that same path. I'm too dangerous even now..."

"Ochako... We all lost that day." Mina said. "It's not his fault."

"Look, we're only here to warn you of what's about to happen!" Izuku snapped.

Ochako looked at them both. "It's been a year and two weeks since you left us..."

Izuku lowered his head in shame.

"You're not here to come back, are you?"

He slowly shook his head. "I can't trust myself anymore."

"But you're with them." She gestured to Mina.

"I'm not planning on staying."

"What?" Mina turned toward him.

"I'm only here to gather everyone I love under...something to protect them because Hatsume won't hold back." Izuku said.

"...Pa-Pa?"

All three heads in the room turned toward the source of the sound.

A little girl with silk-white hair and a small horn on her right temple stood in the hallway in a nightgown just a little too big for her frame. She was no older than twelve yet still appeared much younger.

Izuku fell silent as she dashed across the room and landed in his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Eri!" Ochako scolded.

Izuku felt his own tears escape down his cheeks as he hugged her back.

"I pr-prayed every...night that I'd see you a-again!" She sobbed into his shoulder.

"Of course you'd..." He stopped himself. "I'm here now... It's okay."

Ochako and Mina felt as though they couldn't carry on with the conversation with such innocent ears present.

"I missed you..." Izuku whispered.

"I think it's time you two went home. It's late and Eri has school tomorrow." Ochako said.

"She has school?" Izuku asked.

"She starts at the new academy just two blocks away."

"I'm scared... I want you to walk me there, Pa-Pa..." Eri whimpered.

Izuku chuckled a little. "Eri, sweetie. You'll do great. You're a big girl now."

"Not without my hero..." She whined.

"Eri, come on. I'll tuck you into bed. Let's go." Ochako said walking over and scooping her out of Izuku's arms.

"Are you staying, Pa-Pa?" The little girl asked.

"I-I have to get going, sweetie... I-I love you."

Eri pouted and waved her hand to him. "I love you more, Deku-Pa."

"Goodnight, Eri." He managed a smile and waved back, watching Ochako carry her away.

"Thank you for stopping by, but I'll look after my family here. I can manage." Ochako said to the two. "See you later, Mina."

"Bye..." Mina said back.

Izuku stood up and they both walked out.

"Send her a message." Mina said as they now walked down the street. "We need you, Izuku. You're not the unstable monster the media said you are."

"It's not me they called a monster..." Izuku said.

"Well, whatever they said, nobody could understand what you were going through." Mina said.

"Whatever that drug did to me is still in me... I haven't used my Quirk in full since that day...until the other night when Hatsume nearly killed me."

Mina lowered her head. "If he wants to mess with the bull, he's gonna get the horns one way or another. I wasn't kidding. I don't care the risks, we need you. With you by my side at our next rally, we'll win more people over!"

"Nobody thinks of me as the Symbol of Peace anymore." Izuku said.

"...Because it's not a peaceful time." She sighed. "It's time we fight fire with fire. I have a plan for that but it's only if things go south... Very south. Hatsume has yet to actually do harm to anybody."

"GAH!" Minoru gasped as he lunged out of a nearby alleyway covered in trash.

Izuku and Mina both screamed in unison.

"Oh, GUYS!" Minoru was about ready to jump up and hug them. Mina suspected he was doing it because of the dress she was wearing and stepped back.

"M-Mineta?!" Izuku asked.

"All...whopping...six inches of me." He said out of breath.

Unsure if that was a pun on his height or dick joke, they shook it off and stayed focused. "What happened to you?" Mina asked.

"Your pink-haired techno-pimp threw me out of my club. Literally, he threw me out the window. Then proceeded to chase me for a few kilometers in the streets." He said.

"Hatsume?!" Izuku asked.

"Yeah. Speaking of which, I never lost him." Minoru shrugged.

"You dumb son of a bitch!" Mina snapped.

"That makes THREE of you!" Maeko Hatsume shouted, bursting from the other end of the alleyway, staring them all down. Two metal tentacles were sticking out of a thin pack attached to his jacket on back.

Although they were prepared for a fight, their guards dropped when Tenya appeared behind Maeko.

"I strongly disagree with these barbaric actions, Hatsume. And I-" He made eye contact with his old friends.

"Nah. I'm killing them." Hatsume frowned.


	9. Chapter 9: Awkward Reunion

Tenya quickly got between Hatsume and Izuku's group. "I can't let you harm them! Yes, they need to be brought to justice but not like this!"

"Justice for what?!" Minoru shouted. "Aside from maybe a gamble or two, I have done nothing wrong!"

Mina and Izuku paused to both give him a doubtful look.

"Iida! What are you doing?" Izuku asked.

"Unfortunately, Midoriya. You have evaded capture by a government official and may be responsible for those damages done in the city." Tenya said not looking back, only keeping his eyes locked on Hatsume.

"Tenya Iida." Maeko said. "Get out of the way. I won't hurt them, but I do need to arrest them."

Tenya hesitantly stepped to the side. "Fine. Do your job. Professionally." He reminded him.

"With pleasure." Maeko said stepping forward.

Izuku stood in front of his two friends in defense. "I'll go, just leave them alone. They're innocent."

"We'll see." Maeko glared.

Suddenly a brick landed perfectly on his head, knocking him down to the ground. Tenya looked up only to be hit by brick himself, seemingly from straight up.

Ochako appeared behind Mina. "C'mon you dorks! We have to find you some place to hide!"

"Ochako... You just attacked them." Mina said.

"I know! I don't know why I'm here and why I decided to help you but here I am so let's go before they wake up!"

"I don't think they're getting up any time soon..." Minoru added.

Mina looked up. "Let's get back to Shoji's. But we won't be able to stay there long. I just need a couple things."

"I'd like to change into something more suited for what we're about to do." Izuku remarked.

"Well you're in luck!" Mina smirked. "I got something for each of ya."

~~~~~~~

Ochako drove them all in her car up to Shoji's small traditional home in the countryside. When they arrived, Rikidou Sato, Mezou Shoji, and now Fumikage Tokoyami, Koji Koda, and Yuuga Aoyama were there in the driveway with hopeful smiles on their faces.

Rikidou couldn't help but give Ochako a big hug. "Honestly I wish I knew you better in school but I missed you too!"

"When did you guys show up?" Izuku asked Yuuga and Fumikage.

"Shoji found me at a death metal bar. Despite how uncomfortable he said he was, it was obvious he was there for me and so I decided to come out of hiding and see what I can do for my friends." Fumikage said.

"He missed being with you guys." Dark Shadow added, much to Fumikage's discomfort and denial.

"And I came willingly, giving up a whole fashion show booked tonight for this!" Yuuga posed. "No you didn't. They fired you right as I walked in to the studio. Something about dangerous amounts of glitter in every one of your outfits." Rikidou said.

"Ah-bup-bup-bup! We don't need to bring any of that up. I was doing just fine." The sparkly young man frowned.

"Well, I think we're off to a great start." Mina smiled.

"Yeah... I guess I'm stuck with you guys again." Ochako sighed.

"M-Maybe not! Maybe they never saw you knock them out or maybe they'll suspect it was someone else." Izuku said.

Mina slapped her palm into her face.

"Right..." Ochako frowned.

"...When were you guys THIS awkward?!" Minoru exclaimed. "I thought you were so madly in love and shit?"

Izuku and Ochako turned away from each other.

"W-We grew apart." She said through gritted teeth.

Izuku nodded.

"Right, well. Let's get inside. We won't be able to stay here much longer." Mina said.

Rikidou stepped forward. "Did he-"

"Hatsume caught us in an alleyway in the city. He was probably tracking Grapist over there."

"Grapist?!" Minoru frowned.

"Everyone, follow me." Mezou said.

He led them all through his home and to a cellar door hidden in the laundry area.

The six-armed man opened the hatch and Mina was the first to step down. Ochako followed, then everyone else.

Within the cellar, there wasn't much storage. But in the corner stood tall, wide boxes.

"What's all those?" Izuku asked.

"A gift from a good Hatsume." Mina smiled.

"Mei?" He asked.

"Cleavage is on our side?!" Minoru asked.

Ochako promptly smacked the back of his head. "You still smell like crap."

"You think that's my fault?" He challenged.

"Minoru Mineta. This one's for you." Mina threw a smaller one of the boxes at him.

Being unprepared for it, it hit his face and almost made him fall over, much to the girls' satisfaction.

"Look for your hero names, people. Let's suit up and get going. We have some recruiting to do." Mina commanded.

"Yes, ma'am!" They all replied.

Izuku found a tall box with "DEKU" printed on the side. He tore it open from the top and gazed inside.

It was a version of his old Deku hero costume he'd never seen before but still recognizable. The green parts stuck out like they were made from padding. The mask covered his face completely, leaving two holes shaped for his eyes. It almost resembled Iida's Ingenium costume only less bulky.

He felt the light materials of the suit as he removed some of his loose outer clothing to make room and comfort.

He noticed, then quickly looked away, that most others were changing right there amongst the boxes. The girls appropriately went upstairs to find a private place to change.

"Just like old times." Rikidou smiled.

"It brings back good and bad memories." Fumikage added.

"Is everyone ready, yet?" Minoru asked.

They all turned to get a look at each other's suits.

"Boy, that Hatsume girl really did her research..." Mezou complimented.

"It's like I'm wearing a hazmat version of my old costume." Rikidou said.

"That must mean..." Minoru looked down at his suit, specifically the disk around his waste that connected to his legs. He looked up with a perverted smile.

"Easy for you all to say! She has no taste in fashion!" Yuuga complained. "I look like some polished military tank!"

"Essentially, you are one." Fumikage quipped.

"Where's Denki Kaminari when you need him?" Rikidou snickered.

Izuku looked down in thought. "That's right. There's only two of the girls and seven of the guys. We still have some to find before Maeko does. There's no telling what Maeko could do to them. Makes me wonder what Tenya Iida was doing with him."

"Don't get all mutter-y on us, Midoriya." The sugar-Quirk chuckled.

"Alright, boys! Come on up for the battle plan!" Mina called from the top of the cellar stairs.


	10. Chapter 10: Build an Army

Maeko stood over Tenya's unconscious body. He bent down and slapped him across his face.

"Agh! Ow... What happened?" He asked, quickly rubbing his head.

"Based on the trajectory of the bricks, someone dropped them on to us. But there's no roof access that high enough in this alley and close to where we were standing. And after a quick tap on my government issued locator, it seems that all clues lead to the fact that Ochako Uraraka has joined Midoriya's little rebellion." The pink-haired bounty hunter explained.

As he explained his reasonings, he helped Tenya up on to his feet again.

"Uraraka... She would never do that. She's a good, law-abiding citizen!" Tenya protested.

"Was she involved in a romantic relationship with Izuku Midoriya?" Maeko asked.

"Y-Yes. She was."

"Then he persuaded her to join him, Iida. There's no such thing as a neutral party anymore." Maeko shrugged. "When you make changes to the way our society functions, some people get mad. Some people conform. And some people are indifferent, because it doesn't affect them."

He turned away from Tenya to continue his point. "We're shaping up for a civil war. A war between political stances. A war between friends, if you will..."

Tenya lowered his head. "I don't want to see my friends make anymore bad decisions that ruin the rest of our lives."

"Exactly!" Maeko turned back to him with his hands up. "If Midoriya wants to build an army to fight the power... Then maybe it's time the power builds its own."

"What are you saying? I don't want to bring more people into this."

"This is bigger than both of us, Iides. It's bigger than them. If you want to keep whatever rights you have left as citizens and former heroes, you need to choose a side... Now let's go convince your friends to join us... Or watch them all be thrown behind bars...or worse." Maeko glared.

~~~~~~~

"We'll split up into pairs and go find as many of our old friends as we can." Mina said.

"May I ask one thing first? Why do we need so many of us in on this?" Ochako stepped up.

"...Because Maeko is a wild card the government set loose on us. If he finds someone like Yao-momo before we do, he might interrogate her." Mina explained.

"You chose to be here with us too..." Mezou added.

"The plan is to expose Maeko right? Once we're all together, we can work together to bring him down and expose the cruelty the government has allowed." Rikidou said.

"Correct." Mina said. "There's two big projects I have... If we're gonna do this, then we need Bakugou."

Izuku looked up and met eyes with Mina, who was looking his direction specifically for his reaction.

"And I think you and Ochako should do it."

Ochako frowned and stamped her foot. "Hold on. You want me and him... to break into a max security prison and release Katsuki Bakugou?!"

"Yeah I second that... I didn't think we were going to attempt that." Fumikage added.

"It's suicide... One way or another." Minoru said. "You could die from attempting to break into a prison, be put in that prison, then Bakugou will definitely blow you to kingdom come...and that's the easy way out in prison..."

Everyone seemed to unanimously agree that the idea was truly a bad one. Even Mina began to regret the thought of it.

"I'll do it." Izuku spoke up. Everyone turned their attention to him.

"He's treated me like shit all our lives. But he shouldn't be the one who went to prison..."

"Don't tell me you blame yourself for that too..." Ochako sighed.

"Ochako, they thought he did it! And the worst part was he didn't fight! He's innocent! I should've been arrested... I tried to tell them but no one listened to me... Just let me do this." Izuku protested.

"I am so sick and tired of seeing you blame yourself for every bad thing that's ever happened, Izuku! I got tired of it before and I don't want to go through this again..." Ochako barked at him.

"I'll go with you, Izuku." Mina said. "I need two volunteers to go talk to Yao-momo, two volunteers for Tsuyu, and two volunteers for Kaminari and Jirou."

"Me and Yuuga will go find Tsuyu. We were close." Fumikage stepped up. Yuuga silently agreed.

"Kyoka and Denki have a concert tonight at a mosh pit just outside of Tokyo. I know how to get in to talk to them but I'll need someone..." Minoru turned toward Rikidou. "Sato! Wanna join me?"

Rikidou rolled his eyes and unfolded his arms. "We're going to talk to them. No music, no girls, nothing else."

Minoru just gave him a wink and a smirk.

"Someone should go speak to Shouto Todoroki." Izuku mentioned.

"I'll have Koji and Mezou do that. Right, guys?" Mina asked.

Koji Koda and Mezou Shoji looked at each other and nodded. Koji hesitantly agreed.

"Don't worry. Shouto's a nice quiet guy." She assured him.

Lastly, Ochako volunteered herself. "I can go look for the rest like Hanta Sero and Eijiro Kirishima. I know Hanta will come. He's been good to my family in the construction business lately, providing his tape. So I won't be alone long." She avoided looking in Izuku's direction.

Izuku sighed. "Me and Mina will go free Katsuki Bakugou and bring him here."

The pink-skinned girl stepped back to look at the group. Some of them were very worried about their assignment.

"All my life I wanted to make a difference. To show the world that I'm more than just my appearance. And my abilities. Learning to be a hero taught me so much more than just that... And to see it all be taken away and replaced with monsters like Maeko Hatsume... I can't just sit back and watch things get worse for everyone."

Mina reached out toward them all with her fist. "Will you follow me in keeping the legacy of heroes alive?!"

Rikidou firmly clenched his fist and raised it against hers.

One by one, they all threw their fists forward, joining them with her own. Izuku was last to do it, but did it proudly.

"Let's go beyond." She smiled.

They shouted out together in unison. "PLUS ULTRA!"


	11. Chapter 11: Necessary Evil

Shouto Todoroki had nothing to do.

His entire existence was based upon his father's choice. Before the Accords passed and heroes were government approved, Shouto's father, the hero Endeavor, wanted nothing more than a powerful heir bearing his name.

What good is power now that Quirks are more monitored than ever before?

The Todoroki family business was hero work. It made them rich. Now, it only gave Shouto a roof over his head.

He sat in the near-empty manor pouring himself a small glass of wine.

Lifting the glass up, he drank it all at once and set it down, only to meet eyes with Maeko across the open room.

Keeping his calm composure, he sat up. "Who might you be? And how did you get in here?"

"You actually left your front door unlocked. Just saying." Maeko shrugged and walked over to the bar.

"Name's Maeko Hatsume. I recognize that you are more of a cut-to-the-chase kinda guy so here's what I'm here for: Your old hero friends are trying to illegally start heroism again and I need your help arresting them before they ruin what's left of your...image." He sighed and rested his elbows on the counter across from Shouto.

Shouto raised an eyebrow. "Why would I do that?"

"Because we don't need heroes anymore." Maeko hissed. "As long as they're out there parading the streets, villainy of every kind will grow again. I looked at the statistics. Do you know that the greater villain activity occurred when the numbers of heroes worldwide peaked?"

"And you're saying the heroes now will ruin my image?" Shouto asked.

"Yes. The government gets on everybody's ass about this kind of crap. They look at correlation and causation. There's no room for brushing stuff off. Nowadays if there is any possibility that it's a threat, it's better off looking in to than letting go. That's how All For One made a comeback and ended All Might's streak. It's how entire underground organizations still get away with Noumu creation, drug trafficking, people trafficking, murder, conspiracy." Maeko rambled on.

"The point is... If the government sees some of society's greatest heroes turning on the law, they'll interrogate every possible connection to bring it down. By me."

Shouto grew more concerned. "I've heard about what they're doing and I can't say I completely agree with you..."

"You remember what happened that night? A week before the UN met together to pass the Accords?" Maeko asked.

The young man with the scar on his left eye lowered his head. "None of us can forget..."

"Izuku Midoriya attacked me and blew up his apartment building."

"That was-"

"Yes, that was him. Once again, his Quirk is losing control again. And you know what he's capable of. And you're one of the only people that can stop him. So stand up and join the fight!" Maeko shouted.

Shouto wanted to disagree. He didn't trust Maeko. However, his heart sank when he saw Tenya standing at the end of the room where Maeko had been at first.

"It's all we have left..." Tenya said. "Things can never go back to the way they were. Come with us, Todoroki."

Shouto sighed and stood up, clasping hands with Maeko who proceeded to smile and laugh.

"Don't worry, my friends. Your lives will only be better once this is over." He said.

"Who is with Izuku?" Shouto asked Tenya.

"Ashido-san, Tokoyami-san, Mineta-san, Koda-san, Shoji-san, Sato-san, Aoyama-san, and Uraraka-san." The Engine-Quirk user replied.

"And they may go after more. Which is why we'll need to go find your friends before they do." Maeko added.

A small buzz vibrated on his wrist, prompting him to check on it. "Ah. Looks like something came up for me. Keep recruiting. I'll rejoin you tomorrow." The pink-haired mercenary said.

"What are you going to do?" Tenya asked him with concern.

"Oh, Iida. You know I'm not obliged to legally tell you what I do." He placed a hand uncomfortably on the tall engine-Quirk user's shoulder.

"R-Right... I meant that more as a friendly concern for you rather than your occupation." He clarified.

"I know." Maeko winked at him and escorted himself out to the front door.

"I don't trust him." Shouto said. "He has a fair point in us doing this. But I fear his motives...and intentions..."

"Once the Accords passed, all who held professional hero titles were released, leaving whoever was left for the governments to hire. He was first in line." Tenya said. "His intentions are actively kept secret from even Mei."

"Tenya, old friend. I'll help you with this. But if I find anything he's doing as suspicious, I'll report him to any authority left that I can trust." Shouto stood up straight and locked eyes with him.

Tenya sighed. "It won't be easy, even if he is hiding unjust intentions."

Not long after, as Tenya and Shouto went off to find the other former members of Class 1-A, Maeko made his way across town via the train.

In a more run-down end of the city, he walked confidently down the cracked sidewalk. Everyone in the vicinity gave a shudder and moved out of his way. They knew who he was and no one dared to mess with him.

He gave a smug smile and lifted up an old garage door that lead to a large, seemingly abandoned truck garage.

"Izuku Midoriya. Quirk: whatever he calls that energy that flows through his body granting him numerous impressively powerful abilities. And now his little band of freaks. Acid Quirk, Sonar Quirk, Animal-speak Quirk, Ball Quirk, Naval Laser Quirk, Sugar Rush Quirk, Dark Shadow Quirk, and Zero Gravity Quirk." He rambled to himself as he marched over to a tall desk in the center of the dimly lit room.

"Blight, I think it's time." He said, holding a finger to his right temple.

Some buzzing in his head caused him to wince for a moment as if he was being stabbed by multiple acupuncture needles.

"Ready the Extinguisher. Code Black. Threat level: God." He ordered.

From the darkest spots of the room, giant robotic arms stretched forward holding large pieces of technology from various places, most likely stolen. Computers, tablets, televisions, drones, car engines, electrical wiring of all kinds were brought forth.

He began to laugh and stretched forth his hands toward the many objects presented to him like some kind of sacrifices.

The closest piece of tech: a flatscreen television, seemed to attract itself toward him like a magnet. It began to peel apart and stretch the finely and delicately broken strips toward his fingertips.

As the first pieces made contact with his skin, every piece of equipment presented sprung towards him.

He laughed and laughed and laughed as the pieces jumped at his body, colliding with his skin and clothes, melding and transforming together. Parts were broken up, rotated, and reassembled elsewhere.

Slowly, the technology around him grew into a large metal body. "You want a villain, Midoriya?! I'll give you a villain! AHAHAHAAA!"


	12. Chapter 12: In Their Natural Habitats

Rikidou and Minoru were standing just outside of an outdoor venue. From the other side, loud rock music with a bit of techno thrown in was blasting over speakers and a screaming crowd.

They had changed back into civilian clothes for the time being but had been standing there for some time.

"What are we waiting for, Mineta?" Rikidou asked folding his muscular arms.

"They're not done performing their part! Haven't you ever been to a concert venue?" Minoru turned and asked him.

"Well no. But this is very urgent. Isn't there a way to get their attention?"

"We'll have more success after they're finished, dude!" Minoru said, not making eye contact with his partner, but rather staring through a peephole in the fence.

"There better not be some girl's behind on the other side of the fence."

"You would not believe the size of it..." Minoru drooled.

Rikidou pulled him back. "Get yourself together! You're not a kid anymore. The only way you'll ever stand a chance with girls is if you stop treating them like objects."

Minoru rolled his eyes. "I made a pretty good living out of women who objectified themselves. You should've seen it. I was top dog."

Rikidou groaned. "Let's just get in there already. Once they're backstage we'll be able to talk to them. So what idea did you have that required me?"

"Hm? Oh yes! I need you to punch down the door." The purple-haired midget smiled.

"You what?! I thought you had 'ways of getting in to see them'!" Rikidou snapped at him.

"Hey hey! I do! It's you! Now use your Quirk so we can go talk to them and get this over with."

Rikidou groaned louder and marched toward the closest door at the front of the amphitheater which visibly lead in to the backstage building connecting to the stage itself.

He didn't have time to question these actions. They were wanted vigilantes already. His frustrations pushed him to launching his fist through the locked door, reaching around, and unlocking the door from inside.

Minoru gave him a quick quiet clap as he opened it.

A bodyguard quickly turned around in reaction and charged them, turning his body into a clear crystalline material as he ran toward the intruders.

Minoru launched a ball at the guard's foot, gluing it to the ground.

From there, Rikidou charged him and punched him across his crystallized face, knocking him unconscious quickly. His hand began to ache badly in response. "AGH! I need more sugar... That guy's Quirk might have broke my hand!"

"Just hold on a bit, Sato. We're practically here!" Minoru placed a hand of encouragement on his large friend's leg, the only place he could reach.

"Sato? Mineta? Is that you guys?!" A familiar chilled voice asked.

They looked up a small few steps to the backstage and met eyes with Denki Kaminari, dressed in what used to be his hero costume. Most likely altered to be his band outfit.

Before they could do anything, he ran down and gave them both a big hug. "Dudes! This is crazy seeing you again!"

"Kaminari, there's something we need to tell you. Is Jirou around?" Rikidou asked.

"Yeah yeah! She's just finishing our last number with a guitar solo. Gosh, I love that chick." Denki smiled.

Minoru thought the same thing and he chuckled. "Some things just never change."

Rikidou rolled his eyes. "We're here for something important."

"What's up, man?" Denki asked.

For a moment, despite his impatience to get there, Rikidou and Minoru didn't discuss how they would put the situation to words, especially to convince their friends.

"Have you heard about anyone named Maeko Hatsume?" Rikidou asked.

"Huh. Oh yeah! He's a good friend of Kyoka. He got us one of our first gigs!" The electric blonde said. "You guys know him?"

"He tried to murder me." Rikidou frowned.

Minoru began to laugh. "E-Excuse Rikidou here, he doesn't know what 'segwaying into the conversation' means."

Rikidou punched his shoulder then stepped toward Denki and put a hand on his arm. "He works for the government. He's supposed to be a warrant officer who checks in with former professional heroes. But lately he's been increasingly violent towards us... He attacked me. He attacked Izuku and was responsible for his apartment building collapsing."

Denki dropped his smile. "I don't know a lot about Maeko. But Kyoka may take some convincing. So what are you guys here telling us this for?"

"Mina Ashido wants Class 1-A to reunite to make a stand and expose the unfairness and corruption in the new laws."

"The Accords..." Denki gulped.

"Yo Jammingway. They're calling for an encore!" Kyoka called from up the backstage. She turned the corner quickly then topped in her tracks.

Denki, Rikidou, and Minoru especially gave her awkward smiles.

"Look who came to see us!" Denki pointed.

Kyoka didn't say a word. She folded her arms and frowned. "Denk. We're in the middle of our concert debut? There's a producer in the audience? And they want an encore."

"Jirou... Please listen to us." Rikidou begged. "As much as I would've loved to come see you guys perform, we're here because of something very serious..."

~~~~~~~

Tsuyu Asui had nothing more to do than join the Japanese navy. It was a similar setting to her professional hero line of work, especially with water-Quirk based heroes like herself.

After being yelled at by her drill sergeant among her fellow navy volunteers and veterans, she was off in the training course.

Hours of push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, running, crouching, and hauling. And all without any use of her Quirk. It almost seemed therapeutic for her, making it easy to zone out and think.

Just across the yard nearby, over the fence, Fumikage and Yuuga stood watching.

"My my! What barbaric conditions!" Yuuga gasped.

"It's typical training exercises for the Navy. When they're not on patrols or missions, they're training. Reminds me of our days as heroes." Fumikage explained.

"Or when we were students." Yuuga added. "So how can we get her attention from here? And get her out without being caught?"

"That's near impossible. They'll eventually find out and maybe discharge her for deserting." Fumikage sighed.

"So what could convince Tsuyu to come with us?" The sparkly, French boy asked.

"I'll think of something..." Fumikage said. He almost sounded unsure, because he was. Tsuyu is a respecter of authority. Since the heroes' line of work has been discontinued, all she has now is the Navy. And to leave it in her case would be social suicide.

"Dark Shadow. Go get her attention." Fumikage commanded.

"Got it!" The shadowed entity replied from beneath his cloak, slithering out from the bottom and stretching through the fence, paper-thin, and growing out across the yard.

"I'm glad it's overcast today. Dark Shadow doesn't do this well in the direct sunlight." Fumikage said as they watched his "shadow" slither out to Tsuyu.

It stretched out a large hand and tapped her shoulder as she was getting up to move to her next station.

She turned and dropped her wide jaw in shock.


	13. Chapter 13: Breakout

Katsuki Bakugou sat in his jail cell in comfortable silence.

Because of the tensions between him and the other prisoners, he was opted into solitary confinement. Even then he could still hear them on the other side of the wall shouting at each other, and at him.

Before the laws were passed, he was a very successful hero despite his intimidating personality. Many criminals were thrown in this prison because of his heroic efforts.

He'd been in there so long that it felt pointless to remain hateful and angry all the time. Now he was just a shell.

Katsuki would sit and think. He taught himself meditation and evaluated his life up to that point. Every day he tackled with the thoughts whether he deserved to be there or not.

He thought of his friends and hoped that they were able to move on from their lives as heroes. He wasn't so lucky. It wasn't easy to just give up on being a hero and using his powers.

Now here he sat in his cell after his daily exercise in the weight room and shower.

"Bakugou. You got a visitor." One prison guard said upon opening a small hatch in the wall. "Get up and follow us closely."

Katsuki raised an eyebrow then stood up compliantly, waiting for the guards to come in with restraints.

They escorted him through the corridors past many cell bars with infuriated inmates seeing their old enemy shuffling by.

He was brought to an open room with a desk and a chair. On one wall was a medium sized window and a speaker for input and output audio to stream through.

"Mom." He sighed.

Through the window at a desk in front, sat his mother with his similar hair color and style, albeit longer in a ponytail.

"What's new?" Katsuki asked. His eyes followed the guards as they left the room and shut the heavy door for their "privacy".

"Your father has been doing fairly good at work. He's really close to a promotion." His mother said. "I've been taking small jobs as a substitute teacher. I'm getting a good name for myself too. The kids are scared of me but the schools love me." She smiled.

"Now what's new with you?" She asked. "Are you doing okay in there?"

"Yes." Katsuki groaned. "I'm okay."

"That's good. I wouldn't want anyone to get the drop on you." She emphasized.

"Like anybody's gonna-"

The sounds of a struggle outside of the room caught his attention.

"There's probably not many in this place who can get the drop on you... But people from the outside sure are prepared..." She said cryptically.

"What the hell's going on, Mom?! You know what's doing that?!" Katsuki snapped at her.

"I love you, baby. I gotta go but I'll see you again soon." She smiled and winked before standing up and walking away.

"MOM! WAIT! Ah! Dumb bitch!" He cursed.

SSSSSHHHHHHH

Katsuki turned around to see the metal door now melting to the ground.

He cautiously approached the open doorway ready to fight whatever inmate got loose.

"Kacchan!"

He stopped dead in is tracks and rolled his eyes so hard they could've rolled out of his skull.

Izuku and Mina popped their heads from around the doorway. They put all the guards they knocked out into a pile.

Katsuki glared at them. "Are you insane?! If they catch us, I'll be in more trouble! And so will you!"

"'If' they catch us, Bakugou." Mina smirked.

"That is if we act fast! They won't stay down forever and there are security cameras everywhere." Izuku said.

Katsuki noticed they were both wearing dark clothes with hoods, but underneath were their hero costumes.

"You're the dumbest set of criminals I've ever seen." Katsuki groaned.

"That's why we're not criminals. We're busting you outta here!" Mina said.

"NO!" Katsuki yelled.

"Shh! More guards might hear us!" Izuku said.

"This is impossible to do without suffering the consequences. You guys of all people should know that!" Katsuki snapped, pointing his finger at them.

"We don't have time, Bakugou! We have to move!"

"I'm not leaving, Raccoon Eyes." He hissed. "The law put me in here and I have to follow it! Even if we make it out, they'll hunt us all down for more crimes committed than before!"

"Kacchan." Izuku daringly put a hand on his shoulder. "I know things are looking very bad for us. But this is about something bigger. The world needs us again even if they don't see it yet. Please come with us! We can't do it without you."

Katsuki ripped Izuku's hand off of his shoulder. "You'll be fine. Get out."

"The government hired a man to keep heroes in check but he's been murdering them." Mina added. "He's corrupting people with his lies. He killed Mashirao and Hagakure."

"And more." Izuku said. "He's hunting us all down whether we actually did break laws or not."

"It's not my problem!" Katsuki yelled.

Neither of them could protest. He was right. And Izuku began to feel a guilt, similar to the guilt he felt when he spoke to Ochako again. Mostly because it was his fault Katsuki was in there.

"Fine..." Mina sighed. "You're right. It's not your problem. We're not heroes anymore. There's nothing for you to worry about..."

Katsuki glared at her.

"No." Izuku protested. "Dammit Kacchan. I'm getting you out of here! Not because we need your help but because you're not the one who was meant to be thrown in this place."

The explosive blonde looked at him funny. "Quit trying to be all self-righteous, Deku. You know what I did to get in here."

"I've done some bad things in the past few years, Kacchan... I'm not saying it should be me in here but I am saying you don't deserve this. Now come on. What do you want?"

Katsuki's piercing brow softened. "You're such an idiot for coming here... But dammit I guess I should take this opportunity to make things right... If you really have a plan for clearing our names, then I sure hope it's better than your stupid plan for breaking me out."

Mina and Izuku smiled.

"Don't worry. Mina's got this!" Mina remarked and began slathering the wall with her acid.

The sound of guards shouting and rushing through the halls could be heard, and was starting to get louder.

As dozens turned the corner, they found the melted door, a pile of near conscious guards, and a hole leading directly to the courtyard.


	14. Chapter 14: Tensions Rise

"Tenya Iida, you can't be serious."

"Yeah dude. The guy's a psychopath!"

"Listen everyone! I know that Maeko Hatsume is not mentally stable. I recognize that. And I will tell you also that I am not babysitting him because I used to date his sister Mei. I'm trying to help him...because I fear that if we leave him to look for our friends on his own that he might..."

"He might what?" Momo Yaoyorozou asked. "I came here because you guys were coming back together. I have no plans to do anything illegal."

"Maeko Hatsume is a government warrant officer." Shouto Todoroki mentioned. "Although he knows a few loopholes and abuses his power, he's no murderer."

"The guy just gives me the creeps. And that's not because I'm an ex-hero and he's like assigned to watch over me." Eijiro Kirishima added.

"Iida? How many of our old classmates have joined Midoriya-kun and Ashido-san?" Momo asked.

"Koda, Shoji, Sato, Uraraka, Aoyuma, Mineta,"

"Kaminari and Bakugou." Maeko said as he walked in.

Everyone turned their attention to the officer. He was now covered in armor with exception for his head, neck, and bare hands. The armor upon a closer look was technology bound to his skin and clothes and tight-knit compact. There's no telling what he could do with it.

"B-Bakugou?!" Momo asked.

"How do you figure that, Maeko?" Tenya asked.

Kyoka Jirou appeared behind Maeko with a disappointed look in her eyes. Although, especially with Denki Kaminari, that's her usual look.

"Kyoka-san?" Momo asked taking a step closer with her hands out.

"Don't ask, guys. It doesn't seem right to me. I don't want to lose what I worked so hard to gain... I can't be a hero but I want to be a rockstar. I can't let that dream be taken away too." She sighed.

"Where's Denki?" Eijiro asked.

"He left with Sato and that perv Mineta." She frowned.

"So then..."

Maeko smiled and held up his arm. "Display news." He ordered.

Two small prongs folded out of the armor on his arm and hummed as they shot out a two dimensional projection in the air of the top story in the news.

"Former hero turned terrorist Katsuki Bakugou escapes prison...with the help of Mina Ashido and Izuku Midoriya." He said, not even attempting to hide his joy.

"What did I tell you, Iides? I was right about heroes. Happiest day of my life was when those Accords passed. When heroes were stripped of their privileges and made equal with the rest of us rejects." He paraded around the room slowly.

"You all sucked it up. Made lives for yourselves. You moved on because you knew that the Accords aren't meant to tear down lives, they're meant to build new opportunities!" He continued.

Everyone, despite their lack of trust for him, listened. Crazy or not, he still had valid points, mixed in with motivations that were more than questionable. Every one of them wondered if he was just a villain. Or simply a broken man.

"People like Izuku Midoriya and Mina Ashido miss the glory days! Despite how flawed they were, how much more suffering came to be, how many accidents and villains rose up because of them. They won't let go. And now there are ten of them threatening to tear down society altogether!"

"I disagree there." Momo interrupted.

"Yeah I don't think they want to intentionally wreck it for all of us." Eijiro added.

"They're ignorant... We're more than just our Quirks." Kyoka argued. "I don't think they believe that. Denki doesn't think much of himself besides his electric abilities. Quite literally now, his Quirk has made him stupid."

Maeko chuckled. "I know you all don't agree with me. But we have a common ground here. They must be stopped. I can't arrest all of them so I'll need each of you to help me. And there's a few more people we can recruit as well."

Shouto sighed and stood up straight. "Let's just get this over with quickly to prevent further incidents."

Momo lowered her head as if agreeing to break the law itself. "Fine. Now what's the plan?"

~~~~~~~~

"I'm sorry Fumi-kun... I can't join you."

"Seems like she's got her priorities right. And valid reasons to remain where she is." Yuuga sighed as he walked defeatedly with Fumikage through the forest.

The crow-headed young man sighed with him. "I can't blame her. This risk means certain social suicide."

"Just think what the first heroes had to do before hero work became government backed." Yuuga remarked.

"True. They had to sacrifice so much. And even then it was years before they got even majority support." Fumikage said.

"I miss the spotlight. I was born for it! Not this...hiding in the shadows. That's more your thing." Yuuga whined.

WHOOSH

The two quickly turned around in defensive positions only to find nothing. They scanned the trees for any sign of an intruder.

WHOOSH THHHWIP

A long pink prehensile appendage whipped down from the trees above, quickly wrapping around Yuuga's waist and lifting him off the ground.

"I'm sorry, guys..." Tsuyu said from the tree she was perched. "But I can't just stand by and watch you make yourselves into criminals."

Her brief time in the navy gave her slightly larger muscles and very short hair. She wore her blue camouflage training outfit with the feet exposed for better grip. Plus, none of the boots fit her size surprisingly, not that she looked very thoroughly for them. They allowed her, because of her Quirk, to at the very least training barefoot.

Fumikage grunted as Dark Shadow emerged from his cloak. "Let him go, Tsu. We have to go."

"I won't let you." She frowned.

"That's fine." Yuuga smiled. "We'll just see ourselves out!" He aimed his stomach upwards and blasted his bright blue laser in her direction up the tree.

~~~~~~~

"You what?!"

"Please let me explain, Sero." Ochako said calmly with her hands up in defense.

"No no. I'm sorry Uraraka. But I can't be a part of that. I won't join you." Hanta Sero said leaning against his desk, not facing her.

"You've been such a big help to my family... But I know you can do so much more. You had so much as a hero." She sighed sadly.

"The hero days are over, Ochako. Normally now I'd stay out of these debates. But after what I heard Midoriya and Mina did, I can't accept that. Please leave now before I call the police." Hanta frowned.

"We need you again, Hanta..." Ochako sniffed. "Just think about it. It's not what it seems. We're doing this for the greater good..."

As she walked out, Hanta lowered his head staring down at the wood carved to make his desk.

A moment passed before he replied. Although she was already out of the building.

"There's no such thing as the greater good anymore..." He clenched his fists and stormed away.


	15. Chapter 15: Clash of The Titans

Mina regathered their group together within the city. Ochako recommended a secluded spot nearby her parents' latest construction project: an unfinished tall building that sat in a newer urban area. It would easily dwarf everything around it for kilometers once finished.

As everyone arrived, some greetings were tearful and happy, full of hugs and pats and laughs. Some were more serious nods of recognition and small talk.

Overall it wasn't the happiest reunion they could have planned, concerning the current situation they were in.

Mina looked over at Izuku and gave an assuring nod as if beckoning him to say something, but instead she hopped on the idea before he had a chance to consider it.

"It's good to have you all hear." She smiled. "I wish things were different but it's come to this."

"Yeah what exactly are we doing?" Katsuki blurted out with his arms crossed.

"Thank you for jumping right to the point, Bakugou!" Mina said, half-sarcastic. "There's something... I need to show all of you."

Izuku took a step closer to her.

"Some of you have been with me since the beginning of this mess." She said. "But I don't think I ever gave you evidence to back my claims, yet you chose to follow me."

"I had enough evidence to your point when Maeko Hatsume tried to kill me." Rikidou Sato spoke out.

"Me too." Izuku said.

Mina nodded in appreciation to both of them. "The biggest claim I made was that Hatsume took the lives of my best friend and her boyfriend. Tooru Hagakure and Mashirao Ojiro. Our old classmates."

Everyone looked at each other with silent sadness shared in their eyes.

"I have evidence. It's why I knew it was Hatsume." Mina continued. "I wanted to wait for an opportunity to show everyone who had even just a smidgen of hope for me." She reached into her purse and pulled out a small drive. She then plugged the drive into her phone and it projected a video onto a nearby concrete wall.

It was from a security camera of a small office building showing a suburban street of houses.

Maeko Hatsume strutted down the road and knocked on the door of one of them in the video. The camera was clear enough to give light to his hair color and clothing.

Mashirao, with his large tufted tail answered, with a look of worry on his face.

There was no sound but their conversation looked to turn into an argument within moments.

Maeko was shown to grow a large metal fist over his hand and punched Mashirao through the doorway.

He marched inside after the tail-Quirk user. Moments later, lights in the small house flashed. Blood splattered the front window.

Maeko stepped out of the doorway again with bloodstains all over his jacket. He used some sort of device on his body to hover across the yard. He took a second to look back at the damages, then rushed off.

The recording ended and Mina turned it off.

Ochako, now with tears in her eyes, rushed to Mina and gave her a tight hug.

Izuku thought of the few, but meaningful times he spent with Mashirao. From the time the tail-man helped him figure out his opponent's mind controlling Quirk in the sports festival their first year, to the many witty comments he made when it was just the boys together in their dorms, in the hot springs, and the help he provided on a few missions as well. Not to mention the things he did in stopping the League of Villains along with the rest of their class.

"Ojiro..." He whispered.

"Hey Pinky. I hate to break up the depressing moment here, but why haven't you taken this video to the police?" Katsuki sighed in annoyance.

Mina looked up from hugging Ochako. "I tried to. Believe me I did. But somehow... When I took it to the police station, the servers only showed a loop of an empty street that same time on that same night."

"The hell are you talking about? You're saying that pink haired weasel jacked the police servers too?"

Izuku spoke out. "Well the police station is a government building. There's no telling what Maeko Hatsume has hold of. All he needs is an inch of access and—"

"He can hack the rest." Mina finished.

Izuku quickly stopped where he stood. "Wait... If Hatsume has access to everything in the police station, that means... He can frame anything he wants to on me..."

As everyone was discussing the situation further, Fumikage turned his head back in suspicion. His eyes widened and Dark Shadow emerged from his gut. "Everyone get down!"

A wall of ice blasted through the closest wall and didn't stop until it slammed into the next one.

The group of heroes all turned toward the direction it came.

"Was that...?" Mina asked, barely able to finish her sentence.

"Shouto Todoroki." Izuku addressed.

"Don't tell me Icy Hot is after us too!" Katsuki yelled.

The rest of the wall which the ice blasted through was broken down by a loud cannon blast that shook everything around them.

"We can't have a fight here! This is my parents' construction site!" Ochako cried out.

"We may not have a choice." Fumikage said.

They all saw through the broken wall every member of their class who refused to join their rebellious group.

Tenya Iida and Shouto Todoroki stood in the front while Momo Yaoyorozu stayed back with her hands on a mounted cannon, no doubt created with her Quirk.

"Izuku Midoriya! Mina Ashido! Under the authority of Maeko Hatsume, we are granted permission and orders to place you and every associate here under arrest." Tenya shouted.

"Guys, stop this! We have evidence that proves Maeko Hatsume is a Hero Killer!" Mina marched up to the large hole in the wall.

"He killed Ojiro and Hagakure in their home!" Izuku shouted.

"You guys gotta believe us!" Minoru Mineta added.

"Play them the video, Mina." Mezou Shoji requested over Mina's shoulder.

"Just let me show you." She said, nodding back at Mezou.

When she played the projected recording again in view of Tenya and the others, the video simply showed a loop of an empty street at night.

Mina's stomach dropped and everyone turned to hear Maeko Hatsume laughing from above.

"Wow. Congratulations. You stole video footage from a small business and tried to edit it to look like I committed such an atrocity? I will admit I'm an asshole but I'm no killer." The pink-haired man himself said flying over the scene in rockets connected to his body via his thighs, shoulder blades, and pecks.

"H-How...?" Mina gasped.

"No, that's not right! We saw it!" Ochako barked in defense.

"That's enough. A room full of witnesses to evidence is like the game of 'Telephone', considering the last person's guess to be just as valid as the original saying." Tenya explained. "You're all still guilty of breaking out a prisoner and unlicensed hero work, AKA vigilantism."

Izuku frowned. So this is what Maeko wanted? Everyone to just tear each other apart in a fight? His Quirk is very impressive, and dangerous, but even he knows he can't defeat all of us so he must've planned this from the beginning.

There was no turning back now. No proving Maeko was a murderer and no defending their case here. The only way to escape this was to fight and find a way out once they were no longer being threatened. He made a promise to Eri that he would walk her to school again, and he was going to keep it no matter what.

Izuku, Mina, Katsuki, Ochako, Minoru, Mezou, Rikidou, Denki, Yuuga, Koji, and Fumikage lined up facing Shouto, Tenya, Momo, Tsuyu, Kyoka, Eijiro, Hanta, and Maeko.

"I'm sorry it's come to this." Shouto said.

"We've got nothing against you guys, we just don't want you to keep making us look bad." Eijiro sighed.

"You're dead, shit-hair!" Katsuki screamed.

In that instant, both teams charged each other. Quirks were activated left and right and met head-on.

Katsuki blasted back Eijiro, Shouto nearly torched Dark Shadow, Ochako dodged Momo's bow-staff swings, Izuku evaded Tenya's charges, Kyoka blasted Denki with her earphone jacks, Minoru stuck his balls on Hanta while Koji called a flock of birds to cover their field of vision.

Yuuga attempted blasting Shouto but was blocked by a wall of ice. Rikidou smashed through it and swung at Tsuyu who wrapped her tongue around his arm and pulled herself closer to punch him in the jaw.

Maeko grabbed Mina and carried her off, catching Izuku's attention momentarily, which was enough time for Tenya to catch him and slam his knee up to Izuku's chin, knocking him on to his back loudly.


	16. Chapter 16: Techno-Path

"You used your Quirk to change the recording! I don't know how you did but..." Mina shouted and glared at Maeko, who had just thrown her down on a raised platform high in the construction site only accessible by an elevator.

"My Quirk... Techno-Path. It allows me to take control of any piece of technology I touch or have touched in the past. I can use the technology to then build anything I want or change things, such as video footage..." The pink-haired maniac smirked hovering over her on a few streams from booster rockets in his hips and shoulders.

"What are you going to do now, huh? Kill me?" Mina asked impatiently.

"Hmmm. No, not yet at least. I want us both to get a good look at the show down below." He chuckled and turned himself around to glance at the ongoing fight between friends on the ground.

Izuku was pinned to the ground by Tenya, until Dark Shadow swung its enlarged arm towards him, swiftly knocking the blue-haired man off of him.

Shouto sighed angrily before unleashing a gigantic sheet of ice that traveled with great speed in all directions.

Yuuga used his laser to blast the ice coming while Ochako tapped on a few heavy pieces of construction equipment. With Rikidou's strong ability to shove them all into the air in the direction of the ice, Ochako then released the equipment and one by one, each large object fell to the earth hard, smashing the ice and blocking a clear path of travel.

One truck fell a little too close to Tsuyu, who hopped out of the way.

Katsuki charged foward, blasting anymore walls of ice being launched their way with powerfully built up explosions.

"My my. They're killing each other down there." Maeko laughed. He folded his arms, clearly comfortable with the situation enough to leave Mina visually unattended.

"So this was your plan... You just made everyone a pawn to your game. Set us all up to look bad and to fight so you wouldn't have to." She frowned.

"And it was a near-even split too. I honestly wasn't expecting this outcome..." He shook his head, more sarcastically, still full of pride in his work. "I'm supposed to be the only government mandated 'hero' now. A warrant officer. I can't go around killing potential threats willy-nilly. I made a mistake doing that to the tail guy and invisible chick."

The mention of her friends in such a nonchalant way was what really started grabbing Mina's attention on him.

"It's a shame your own friends don't believe you anymore... To think, you were a respected public official who stood for equality. But once a villain shows up, you show your true colors once again. Hypocrites being hypocritical. Like I said before, the happiest day of my life was when society gave you heroes a taste of your own medicine... Today may be a competitor however."

He turned himself around to face her, his smile fading. An evil light shined dimly in his eyes. The look of pure hatred. This was it. For better or worse, to avenge or to defend, it was Mina's turn to fight.

Maeko yelled as his rockets blasted him forward at full-speed.

Mina's first instinctive defensive attack was a tossing of all the acid coating her right arm, her left arm followed crossing a secondary volley of acid.

Maeko's armor formed a metal shield in front of himself at his arms. The acid coated the entire frontside and began to corrode and rust the metal. He stopped charging to watch the chemical reaction on his armor. "I underestimated the toxicity of your acid that time. I used the wrong bits of material in the tech on my body!"

It was Mina's turn to attack, while he was distracted. She leapt up at his feet and grabbed his ankle. A very reckless move but she had only one shot at melting one of his rockets, then he would be forced to land, or she would make him.

Her free arm secreted the milky white fluid and she swung upwards.

Maeko grunted and blasted his rockets, propelling them both to the left.

Her attack was fast and although his evasion was faster, it was not controlled and he crashed into the side of a steel beam. Mina followed suit, hitting the beam and losing nearly all the strength in her grip on his leg.

They were now high in the air and had floated too far from any nearby platforms.

Suddenly a bright flash of green lightning ricocheted across the construction site, up several steel beams until it traveled towards the two.

The flash slowed itself down in midair to reveal none other than Izuku with his fist out and his other hand outstretched to save Mina.

His feet hit the beam first. His hand clasped with Mina's tightly, while he used the rest of his momentum to launch his fist at Maeko's head.

But Maeko again blasted himself away, free of Mina and the steel beam.

Izuku kicked off and carried the pink-skinned girl to a lower platform, setting her on her feet.

"Are you alright?" He asked inspecting her lightly for injuries.

"Yes. You came just in time." She smiled. "He's using a lot of tech all at once. I think it's getting hard for him to control his Quirk." She explained.

"I noticed that when he dodged yours and my attacks." Izuku said.

"How are the others doing?" Mina asked, taking a quick peak at the scene down below.

"They're holding pretty good. Mineta managed to stick Sero down. And Kacchan and Fumikage seem to be able to hold off Shouto and Tenya. But I don't like how hard everyone is hitting..." Izuku said with a saddened sigh.

"I don't either. But it's Maeko's Quirk that was making the video change."

"So if we can just overload him, we may be able to defeat him, and play the actual video!"

Maeko shot into the air high above the two.

"I'm not one to do the dirty work, but in your case I came prepared, Izuku Midoriya!" He shouted.

His armor on his body appeared to expand and fold out along his body. Small pistons stuck out and decorated his arms, legs, chest, and back. Metal wrapped around his head and covered him completely in a big robotic suit.

"Mina, see if you can get the video to play. I'll distract him." Izuku volunteered.

"Be careful..." She said. Before she climbed down, she stepped over and planted a quick kiss on his freckled cheek.

"How touching." Maeko said through a speaker in his suit.

Izuku stood in defensive mode as the large robot turned off its rockets to fall directly toward him with big metal fists out.


	17. Chapter 17: Providing Closure

Denki was feeling very lightheaded. He hadn't used his Quirk this much in a long time and it was starting to affect his mind.

Kyoka whipped the earphones from her earlobes after him. He just needed to avoid contact with them. He could electrocute and subdue her but at his expense as well. And there was more work to be done than to just survive a fight with his sort-of-girlfriend.

"You're such an idiot for following them, Denki!" She yelled after him as he hid behind one of the steel beams in the construction site. The others were still fighting around the entrance.

"Being a hero is all I ever wanted! It's not fair!" He shouted back.

"You could never be a hero with a Quirk like that! You were better off as my partner in music!" She shouted.

"No matter what I did, you never appreciate me anyway!" He grew more furious. "I'd rather die a hero than let my friends be wrongfully imprisoned for doing what they were born to do!"

Kyoka stopped running for a moment. "Denki... Of course I appreciate you. I'm just..." She sighed. "I'm just mad that you would pick them over me..."

"I'm mad that you picked music over being a hero with me... Remember when we were a Hero Team?" He asked and stuck his head out from behind the beam.

Kyoka felt a warm blush in her cheeks. It was the happiest she'd ever felt, when they were finally graduated, taking classes in college while being a part-time Hero Team together. "Yes. I do."

"I know music means a lot to you and it's one of your many amazing gifts..." Denki said. "I'm sorry I had to leave you."

"It's too late to just go back to that life, Denki..." She sniffed, feeling a bit emotional from this entire roller coaster of a day.

"Well, it's better than helping that pink-haired psychopath. Mina has footage of him murdering our friends! Just give us a chance." He requested and stepped out from his hiding spot.

"I don't trust him, but he is a government dude. Anything we do he's probably..."

Denki raised an eyebrow.

"Holy shit..." She gasped. "My music career is ruined!"

"Join the club, babe." The Electric-Quirk user sighed.

While she was upset still, she felt better that she and Denki had a united cause, at least for the moment.

Meanwhile Fumikage and Tsuyu were trying to capture each other. Fumikage with his Dark Shadow, and Tsuyu with her long prehensile tongue.

"Tsu! Listen to me! I know things don't look good with Midoriya and Bakugou but you have to understand we mean no ill will!" Fumikage shouted, using Dark Shadow's large arm to block her kick.

"I've worked too hard to watch my world crumble a second time, Tokoyami!" She sternly declared. "I won't let you guys make us look bad!"

"Is that really why you left your training camp to come here?" He asked.

Dark Shadow caught her attention and pointed her to Maeko Hatsume up above who was busy battling Izuku in a robotic suit.

"Every one of us here is now a fugitive. We're using our Quirks. You're fighting us, vigilantism. That man up there set this up for us to look even worse. None of us wanted this yet here we are!" Fumikage argued.

Tsuyu stopped dead. How could she act so recklessly? She tried everything to let go of her past as a hero, including certain actions she used to take whenever she instinctively felt something was wrong. And yet, she went after her old friends anyway.

Maeko said everyone working with him to stop them would receive a pardon, but if Izuku didn't trust him, and half of her friends saying the same thing, there's a chance he's actually a bad man.

"You don't have to join our cause, but please help us bring corrupt men like him down. Ashido-san has video proof of his crimes." Fumikage said.

Tsuyu sighed. "Show me the real video then."

Eijiro was knocked away from Katsuki into a pile of planks of wood. He recovered quickly but noticed Mina in the corner of his eye sneaking away back to the small room they were in when they were discovered.

"Mina!" He called and chased after her.

The pink-skinned girl hid inside the room and Eijiro entered immediately after her.

"Mina! Stop this now." He ordered standing behind her. He sighed and took a step forward, lowering his defenses as he did so. "Mina, why are you guys doing this? Don't you still consider us friends?"

Mina sighed and turned to face him as she held out her phone. "Eijiro, of course I do. We all do. None of us..." She turned to the hole in the wall of the room to view the fighting outside. "None of us wanted this..."

"When those laws were passed, I became a barista. But I never let go of my life and dreams as a hero. So I looked to any legal way of demonstrating how much society still needs us, needs Quirks."

Eijiro listened to her patiently. No one among the old classmates was there to harm each other mindlessly. He wanted to know what lead to this. Plus, he cared about her deeply. More than just friends.

"Everybody knows me as the public speaker." She chuckled lightly. "From getting to know me, did you ever expect me to be a public speaker?"

Eijiro shook his head. "Honestly no."

"Right, but I did it because no one else was brave enough to. That's what heroes do...did. We don't wait for others to do the right thing, we do the right thing. And hopefully our actions inspire others."

"You inspired me..." He admitted.

Mina looked into his eyes, then quickly jerked away. "I did some deep, deep research with various warrant officers hired to keep heroes in check. The laws, I can't do anything about, but the men hired to take our places? It's almost like the government didn't bother doing background checks. Maeko Hatsume, according to his own sister, is psychotic. And I have video evidence of him...murdering Ojiro and Hagakure."

Eijiro looked down in thought. "He does seem like a shady and jumpy guy..."

"You have to believe me, Eiji." She said referring him to his nickname she gave when they were dating.

"Well...even if that's all true, what about Midoriya and Bakugou? They're responsible for the deaths of innocent people. Yet you brought them here to join you."

"I'm getting to that... I have a strong feeling they're innocent." Mina said.

"Strong feelings don't work in politics and justice, Mina." Eijiro sighed.

"You knew them both personally! Do you really think they meant to do any harm?" She argued.

"I've heard enough. Either show me any evidence you have or I'm taking you in, like the rest of them." He demanded.

Mina fidgeted around with her phone and began to play the video, projecting it to the nearest untouched wall in the room.

Suddenly, the entire room caved in as Maeko crashed to the floor in his robot suit. Everyone turned their attention to Izuku pinning the entire thing down on top of rubble, and the people who were in that room at the time.


	18. Chapter 18: Camera Footage

Everyone watched in horror at what just happened.

Izuku himself realized where he and Maeko landed and lifted the robot suit out from the rubble that was once a construction site base camp in the concrete.

As he picked it up, he noticed that the suit had become empty. Devoid of a pilot inside.

"Wha..." He dropped it and scrambled around in the chunks of concrete broken underneath him.

"How touching."

Izuku shot his head up to see Maeko, holding Mina by her opposite arm, and holding a long thin blade to her throat.

"Were you concerned for our safety just now?" Maeko asked.

Izuku's eyes narrowed in hatred.

"I almost feel sorry for people like you. You're so...manipulated by the old ways into thinking that you too can be a hero. Just because you feel a sense of selflessness and sympathy for others. Y'know what I think? That's absolutely- AUGH!"

Mina's sudden elbow jab into his ribs cut him off.

He stopped her from feeling anymore confident pressing the blade against her throat. "You're in no position to act tough with me, bitch."

Eijiro burst from the rubble using his Quirk and quickly caught on with the situation.

"Maeko, enough! You have her now." Tenya shouted. "Don't do anything you're going to regret!"

"Shut it, Iida!" Maeko snapped still holding the blade steady.

Mina gulped and remained still.

'How could I be so careless?' Izuku thought. 'Now Mina is his hostage. He has leverage against us.'

"Here's what I want. As warrant officer for the United Nations under the Quirk Accords. I place you all under arrest for vigilantism, attempted murder, and breaking out a convicted criminal." Maeko stated confidently.

"Do as he says, Midoriya." Izuku heard Shouto's voice from behind.

"All...of you." Maeko repeated.

"...What? You gave us passage to help you capture our friends!" Momo reminded him.

"What crimes have they committed?" Tenya asked.

"You really aren't meant to be a lawyer, Iids. You all used your Quirks illegally to fight. Sure there was self-defense, but it all looks the same on camera." He gestured with a big smirk toward a security camera in one of the corners of the site pointing at the entire scene.

"You...conniving...bastard..." Mina grunted.

"I'm simply doing my job. The less former heroes there are out there 'being nostalgic and relishing in the glory days', the easier it is to keep things in check for our society." Maeko explained.

Ochako looked up at the camera then lowered her head in shame. "Oops..."

"Now. All eighteen of you are under arrest, or I kill Mina Ashido right here, right now." Maeko's smile disappeared as he remembered it's not yet time to celebrate victory.

"Dammit..." Katsuki hissed.

"Didn't surprise me at all." Minoru sighed.

"I can't believe I went along with this... I should have stayed with the soup kitchen..." Momo whimpered.

"Isn't it fun being the criminals you once used to bring to justice for doing the same things? Boy, karma's a bitch, ain't she?" Maeko cocked his eyebrow.

Mina concentrated on the spot where the blade was poking her neck. Carefully, she began to ooze acid onto the sharp tip and produced enough to let it slide down halfway.

Immediately the blade began to melt with a low hissing sound.

Maeko stopped and listened.

In that instant, Izuku lunged forward activating One For All to charge at a speed faster than the villain could move his arms. Even with the blade halfway melted, it still could be used as one.

Dust launched up into the air from where he stood and blanketed the entire scene as it sped by.

Izuku stopped, now a few meters from the scene holding Mina in his arms like a child.

"Izuku?..." She asked.

He looked down at her and gasped.

Sticking out of her shirt was the rest of the blade, broken off at the end that was originally attached to Maeko's arm.

"I-I..." She sputtered and tried to breathe.

"Mina!" Izuku gasped. "Don't worry, I'll stop Maeko and get you some help."

"M-Maeko... Watch out!" She pointed weakly.

Izuku set her down and turned to see a big metal fist land in his face and knock him back to the nearest steel bar.

"MAEKO NO!" Tenya shouted.

"You monster!" Shouto added. He unleashed a wave of ice swiftly in the robot's direction.

Maeko laughed from inside the cockpit and punched the ground just before his feet. The ice stopped from getting close enough and melted upon contact with the ground close by.

"You're looking at a man who has studied all of your Quirks, and therefore knows all your limitations. In case the situation was to turn down this road... Can't say I didn't want this scenario to happen. Killing you and changing the camera footage would be so much easier."

Shouto first groaned in anger but then paused in a brief thought. "Mina mentioned a video of you murdering our friends..."

"And the video was just an empty street." Tsuyu added.

"I can't believe I trusted you, Maeko. I can't believe Mei trusted you!" Tenya roared.

"Oh what? What are you all gonna do about it? Stop me? Beat me up?! Plus Ultra! It won't make a damned difference! You have no proof."

"We have Mina." Kyoka glared at him.

Maeko laughed. "Not for much longer."

He turned to finish her off when he himself was met with Izuku's fist.

Izuku punched the robot in the spot he assumed would be Maeko's head.

'Dammit! Caught off guard by that unstable freak!... Wait. He's unstable.' Maeko thought as he struggled to stay standing. Bits of metal cracked and flew off his body, nearly exposing his face.

Maeko activated rocket thrusters on his body, propelling him in Izuku's direction at high speeds similar to his Quirk.

Izuku evaded him and kept looking over at Mina who was now lying on her back in the dirt.

"Mina! Just hold on!" He called.

Maeko roared and charged the green-haired man again, this time calculating his method of evasion and countering it immediately by unleashing metal tentacles that wrapped up Izuku's leg.

Just as quickly, his robotic hand pinned the ex-hero down by his throat.

'This is good. But what would really do it is a burst of energy from him...' Maeko thought.

Izuku looked over to see his friends, both ally and former opponent, rush to Mina's aid seeing their window of opportunity open.

Shouto looked up from Mina and charged the robot with Katsuki and Tenya close behind.

"Everyone is counting on you and your wonderful Quirk, Izuku! It's always saved the day before. Use it now!" Maeko shouted.

Izuku didn't know what to do. He was in a panic. He hadn't felt this sudden overflow of stress since his accident. Should he punch him out? Kick him? Headbutt him? He couldn't decide and completely blocked out his incoming friends to help as One For All surged through his body and everything was replaced with white light and a loud noise that lasted for less than a second.

Before instantly replacing itself with a ringing in the ears.


	19. Chapter 19: Justice For All

Dust covered the entire construction site. Everything became still and silent.

Shouto was stuck with his arms crossed defensively. A wall of ice blocking himself, Tenya, Katsuki, and those behind them, from the barren stretch of cracked ground, blackened and shattered.

Using his left side, he melted the walls down for everyone to look around.

There on the ground laid Izuku's body, burned from his own explosion.

"NOOO!" Ochako screamed.

Tsuyu wrapped her arms around her friend to hold her back.

Eijiro looked from Mina, mortally wounded in his arms, to Izuku and back to her. "Oh Mina..." He sniffed with tears filling his eyes.

The only thing around the blast radius were bits and pieces of partially melted metals and technology broken apart and charred black.

"Oh shit..." Katsuki said looking around.

"What have we done?..." Kyoka teared up. Denki immediately began to comfort her.

Izuku suddenly sat up and coughed his lungs out, catching everyone's attention. "Maeko! Where's Maeko?" He coughed.

"Izuku, remain calm!" Shouto instructed.

"I-I think..." Tenya looked around. "I think he's gone..."

"Good riddance." Minoru commented.

"Guys, we need to get help for Mina!" Eijiro shouted out.

"The authorities are coming..." Izuku said softly. "Emergency services are responding to the explosion. They'll bring police with them."

Everyone looked at each other worriedly.

"Mina needs us, no matter what it costs. I want her to be saved even if it means I'll be shoved into a police cruiser soon after." Eijiro said. "It's what the best man would do for his lady."

"No. Listen you guys..." Izuku sighed as he stood up and walked to Eijiro and his injured pink friend. "You, all of you, need to get out of here. I'll stay with Mina and make sure she gets help."

"No!" Ochako protested as she stepped forward. "I almost lost you, Izuku... I can't bear the thought of you being thrown in prison for something you didn't do..."

"What are you talking about?" Izuku asked, not looking her direction.

The sharp question made her jolt.

"People are dead because of me!" He shouted and turned towards her. "The entire reason the United Nations has outlawed Quirks is because I misused mine! And because of my mistake, people died!"

Ochako felt tears in her eyes but she listened strong.

"They thought Kacchan was with me so he took the blame while I got put in the police force..." He continued, pointing to Katsuki.

Katsuki was still angry that it happened that way, but he was mature enough to recognize the guilt in his former rival's voice.

"It happened again a few nights ago at my apartment... Maeko triggered me, and I blew up the building with my powers..." Izuku felt tears of his own burning his eyes.

"I never, ever wanted to be responsible for the deaths of anyone. When I trained to become a hero, I pushed myself beyond my limits each time so I could learn to save everyone..."

Ochako lowered her head and put her hand on his shoulder.

"I still can't control my Quirk... I just killed Maeko before we could turn him to the police with the evidence on Mina's phone!"

"That bastard... He planned this whole thing from the beginning." Shouto hissed.

"He played us like a damn fiddle!" Denki yelled.

"We need to make a choice fast, guys! The authorities are almost here..." Kyoka announced.

"Please go. Leave me with Mina." Izuku said kneeling down beside Eijiro and Mina. "They'll save her and take me away. I broke the law. I deserve to be taken away. This is long overdue. None of you are guilty of this so please leave!"

"Midoriya..." Eijiro wanted to protest.

"I know what this means to you, Kirishima but you have to let her go." Fumikage added.

"If you're staying, I'm staying, Izuku." Ochako frowned.

"I promised Eri I would walk her to school..." The green haired man sighed with pure emptiness in his voice. "I want you to promise me that you will do it."

Ochako stopped. She shuffled uncomfortably in place and groaned. "I can't leave you! I don't care that you left me! You're wrong about this! I don't know what's making you lose control of your Quirk like that but I don't care!"

"You think I don't want to be with you again, Ochako? I have never felt lonelier since I felt I had to leave you!" He confessed.

As they argued, the distant sound of sirens was heard and approaching fast.

"Time to go." Katsuki said. "Let's go! We all leave together." He made eye contact with Izuku and simply nodded.

Izuku nodded back. "Go, Eijiro." He said now taking Mina in his arms.

Eijiro started crying and was helped on to his feet by Katsuki and the two left with the others trickling out of the construction site one at a time looking back at Izuku and Mina one last time.

Ochako stood above Izuku looking down at him clutching Mina.

"I love you, Ochako... I-I always have..." Izuku sniffed.

Ochako sniffed and wiped her eyes. "We won't stop fighting until those damn laws are repealed. For you guys..."

"Please go. They're almost here." Izuku said now tending to Mina's wound and making sure she's still breathing.

Ochako backed away. "I wish things were different..."

"W-With y-you all back toge-ther...it will be." Mina said weakly. She forced a smile on her face of hope.

The sirens grew louder, only a few blocks away now. Ochako turned and ran to join the others in escape.

Izuku watched her leave then quickly looked back down at Mina making sure she was stable.

He didn't pay much attention to the blaring helicopters, police shouts, sirens blaring, lights flashing, dogs barking.

He just kept his eyes on his dying friend.

"HANDS UP NOW!"

Izuku threw his hands up still watching Mina. "Please help her! She's been stabbed!"

His eyes never left her as police grabbed his wrists and threw on the heaviest set of handcuffs they have, mainly saved for powerful villains.

He watched as emergency medical finally whisked her away on a stretcher. He started to cry again because her black and gold eyes, although they were awake, were turning to glass.

Only when the ambulance blasted off did he start to listen and comply with the infuriated police officers who tugged him on to his feet and into a large truck, also designed for powerful villains.

It felt like everything in existence turned to black once the world's view from those truck doors was shut with a loud THUD.


	20. Chapter 20: Walk to School

"Midoriya! You got a letter."

An envelop, already sliced open, slid down a tunnel into his sealed room.

The young man with dark green hair picked it up and pulled out a piece of paper with nice handwriting of Japanese characters.

Dear Izuku,

He was already smiling. He knew who it was from and he didn't care what it said, he was glad to get it.

There's a lot I need to mention here to you but first thing I want to tell you is that you're wrong.

His smile disappeared. He walked over to his bunk and laid on his back.

You're not unstable and you're not a killer. I'd say you're just rusty. You are and always have been the greatest hero of our generation. You are my hero.

What you wanted was to have that chance again. I get it. I would feel the same way after such an accident. But it was an accident. You never meant to do that and most people know that.

We're looking into it now. It's not like your Quirk to behave like that.

Now, I wanted to also let you know that most of us saw the video, unedited. Some of us unfortunately will need some more convincing. But now none of us believe Hatsume was a good man. He got what he asked for.

You may already know, but Mina didn't make it. And it still makes me wake up crying.

Izuku felt tears in his eyes build up and release down his cheeks.

But Eri comes into my room and comforts me. And in the mornings, I walk her to school.

I had to quit my job to protect my family's company name. And I'm working alongside our old friends. We're slowly building up again and performing silent acts of heroism.

Because although you're wrong about yourself, you and Mina were right all along. What happened wasn't fair and we're done letting corrupt people rule our lives. Funny that it took nearly dying by one to figure that out.

In your name, and in the name of Mina, we honor you both.

Stay strong! I hope I see you again, Izu-kun. I think about you every day.

Love,

Ochako

Izuku looked at the bottom of the paper at a bonus message in different handwriting, a little messier but still fitting for the author.

PS: I love you Pa-Pa! Don't be sad you can't take me to school. Ma-Ma is doing it now.

He smiled through his messy crying and held the paper close to his body.

"Get a hold of yourself, you moron."

At first he thought that was a prison guard outside his door speaking through the small window.

However he turned to see Katsuki Bakugou dressed in a prison guard's uniform briefly uncovering his mask.

"You damn nerd." He sighed. "It's time to get you home."

~~~~~~~~

"It seems Phase 2 was a failure." A woman in a formal suit sighed in a dark meeting room.

"Yeah, yeah. Not our proudest moment. Maeko's plan was discovered and he did what his nature gives him: he made threats and he attacked. He was in control." A man chimed in.

"Then he had to play dead and make them think they won!" Another added.

"Exactly." The first man replied.

"I see. With Izuku Midoriya behind bars, and Mina Ashido dead, it's only a matter of time before we crush the spirits of the remaining vigilantes." The woman said.

"So what now?" The second, less confident man asked.

"Now, we sit back and watch as the rest of our warrant officers do their job. Former heroes worldwide have started to rise up again but with the Accords, it's only making their image to the public look bad. We're still in control."

"Those Accords will never be removed." The woman said proudly, her voice was very femme fatale and naturally seductive. "Where Maeko failed, dozens more will succeed."

"And he didn't." The first man smiled.

"We can't be too careful here." The second man stated. "If enough people start enough petitions and protests and speeches and acts of defiance, we won't have enough firepower to keep the heroes in check."

"Then we bring in the big guns." The woman said. "And fight fire with fire."

"With Ashido and Midoriya gone, our next big targets are these." The first man said throwing up holograms of a few former-heroes-turned-civil-rights-activists.

The people in the room eyed the pictures. Itsuka Kendo, Katsuki Bakugou, Shouto Todoroki, Momo Yaoyorozu, Emi Fukukado, Melissa Shield, Nemuri Kayama, and Ochako Uraraka.

"Most of these have been confirmed with us they are vigilantes. What kind of public favor would they have if the world found out they're law-breakers?" The woman smirked.

"Exactly." The first man snickered.

~~~~~~~

Maeko Hatsume sat down on a bullet train headed for downtown Tokyo. His body was covered in burns and scratches and a small robot shaped like a crab crawled around him, cauterizing and stitching up the bad wounds.

Some people looked at him funny, because of his obviously burned and dirty appearance. He looked like a cartoon character who took an explosion to the face, which he technically did, if it weren't for his robotic suit wrapping around him defensively at the last second.

Just as he began to sit back and relax, letting the bullet train do the work, he noticed a television screen at the top of the train car. It was a breaking news story about the attack from the other day.

He couldn't hear what they were saying but they showed footage of the fight at the construction site from a security camera.

Everything from the fight amongst former heroes, to him being blown up by Izuku Midoriya. He did notice that they skipped over the part where he stabbed Mina Ashido, and it looked as though the explosion is what killed her.

He wanted to use this opportunity as further motivation to lay back and relax, but two men appeared behind his seat and grabbed him.

Maeko was too weak to put up a big fight, especially in such a small area. But one of them put a hand to his nose and mouth and immediately, he collapsed unconscious.

The men, dressed in suits, carried him away from the public eye and seemingly disappeared out of thin air.

END OF BOOK ONE


End file.
